Contradictions
by JohnMunchIsMyJew
Summary: John Munch didn't want another partner, he was tired of trusting someone just for them to leave. However, when Bella comes into the picture, he finds that he changes his mind. Trust is built, secrets are told, and emotions he hadn't felt in a long time arise. An eventual pairng of John Munch and my OC. Rated M for language, violence, and eventual sexual content.
1. New Acquaintances

**AN-Hey there you guys! So I'm back with a new Munch/OC fic! Hopefully this one won't turn out over dramatic and Mary Sue-ish. Lol. This is set right after Jefferies leaves. I'm not sure if I'll add Fin into this story. As it stands, I don't think I will, so sorry Odafin fans! :p Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy this story! **

**NEW ACQUAINTANCES **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS FROM THE SHOW, ONLY MY OC'S**

"You look like hell, did you even go home last night?" Olivia Benson asked as she sat a hot cup of tea in front of her older friend. John gave her a grave look before greedily sipping on the warm liquid.

"No, I've got to get these reports in by noon today," he said with a sigh. A tired groan escaped him as he took his glasses off and rubbed his burning eyes.

"You'd be done by now if you had a partner," Eliot said in a matter of fact tone. John stopped his eyes from rolling heavenward. How many times were they going to go through this?

"I don't need one," he stated grumpily. It had been six weeks since Jefferies quit, and John had quickly decided he was through with cycling partners. What was the point? Sure, the average partnership lasted four years, but his didn't even last a year. He was tired of just beginning to trust a person with his life, only to have them leave. Or die. But that was another story.

"When was the last time you got a full eight hours of sleep?" Elliot countered. John snorted and raised his eyebrows.

"You have a partner, and you _still_ don't get a full eight hours of sleep," John said.

Elliot smirked and said, "Alright, maybe I don't get a full eight hours of sleep, but the point is I still get a couple of hours of beauty rest."

"Why are you so opposed to a new partner, anyways?" Liv asked as she bit into a piece of toast.

"What, so they can just leave me again? My poor old heart can't take another blow," he said dramatically, emphasizing his point with a hand over his heart. Liv scoffed and Elliot grunted into his coffee at the display.

"For the love of God, Munch. You've been divorced four times now. You should be used to being dumped by now," Liv teased. Munch frowned and squinted his eyes at her.

"That was harsh," he mumbled before reluctantly turning back to his paperwork. The horrendously tall stack of folders he still had to waft through was almost enough to make him gag. He had been doing paperwork since midnight of last night. It was now seven o' clock in the morning. A dejected sigh escaped him and he started to rub his eyes once more.

Maybe he did need a partner. He had originally thought he could take everything on by himself, like he had once done back in Baltimore. Boy, was he wrong. While the task of handling many homicide cases at a time was daunting, he was still able to do it. This time around though, it was beginning to be too much. He hadn't taken into account all the living victim's statements and information that went with rape and child cases.

He stood up and began walking to the captain's office before he had the chance to change his mind.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"That's a nice suit you got on, John," Cragen said around a mouthful of his morning coffee.

"Thanks," John said tiredly as he slumped into a chair.

"You were wearing it yesterday," Don amended. Munch looked down at his rumpled wardrobe and frowned. He really could use a change of clothes. Not to mention a shower and a good shave.

"That's what I'm here to talk about," John started. He leaned forward and propped himself up by the elbow on Cragen's desk. Sitting up was taking too much out of his low energy reserves.

"Sorry, I don't think your bony ass will fit in my clothes," Don teased. Munch sighed and closed his eyes.

"You know what I mean!" he snapped. Don hid a smirk and nodded.

"You finally ready for me to get you a new partner?" the captain asked.

"I don't want one, but I think I'm getting too old to do this on my own anymore," John said with a scowl.

"It's about time. I've got three different jackets here," Don said as he rummaged through his desk drawers. He tossed three thick folders across the desk. "All three of them are really good cops. Usually, I'm not allowed to let anyone else see confidential résumés, but I talked to all of them and they said you could look through them. I figure I might as well let you pick, maybe that way they'll stay longer than a year." He swallowed a laugh at his friend's glare.

John opened the first folder and read the name Riley Shaffer. He was thirty-three, worked in homicide, and had a perfectly clean jacket. Everything looked good, until he read that his father was one of the chief commissioners for 1pp. That put an end to his interest right there. 1pp was up this unit's ass enough without having to deal with a commissioner's brat. He snapped the folder shut and put it to the side.

He cracked open the next file and immediately slammed it shut upon seeing the picture. He had seen that kid before; Brian Loft. He was an arrogant little shit that worked in the FBI. He and Cassidy had to collaborate on a few cases with him. He was loud mouthed, cocky, and worst of all, smelled like the ass end of a horse. There was no way in hell he would be stuck in a car for hours at a time on stake-out duty with that stench. He aggravatingly tossed the folder on top of the last rejected one.

He glared dejectedly at the last folder. Two down, with only one to go. With a heavy sigh he flicked the cover open. His eyebrows shot nearly up to his hairline as he took in the sight of the woman in the picture. Her hair was a messy mass of dark black curls, almost meeting the classification of frizzy. But that wasn't what got his attention, it was her eyes. Her left eye was a deep emerald color, while her right eye was a shocking bright blue.

He scraped his eyes away from the picture to read her information. Krissabella Walker, age thirty-two, transferring from Narcotics, and had a juvenile record. He eyed the juvenile section with newfound interest. She had a minor possession charge, a few counts of vandalism, and a case of petty theft that was later dropped.

Her police career was impressive. She had worked as a traffic officer before moving to Narcotics. Her conviction rate was higher than her peers', and she had even busted two major drug rings that the FBI had tried solving for years. She seemed to be a more than adequate candidate.

"I think I'm going to go with this one," John said slowly. He glanced at her picture once more before handing the file back to Don.

"Good choice. I'll give her a call and have her here by tomorrow. In the meantime, I want you to go home and sleep," Don ordered.

"Can't, I have to get those reports in by noon," John groaned. The prospect of sleep sounded like heaven to his ears. It was almost cruel to have the offer dangled freely in front of him, but not being able to take it.

"Just turn in what you have so far. I'll stall and get you another day to finish them up," Don said. He almost laughed at the sincere joy on his senior detective's face.

"In that case, you don't have to tell me twice! Thanks Captain, see ya tomorrow!" John jumped up with renewed energy and bounded out the door before the Captain could say another word.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Krissabella Walker stood in the middle of her tiny apartment, grinning from ear to ear. The captain-Cragen she thought he had said, from SVU had just called to inform her she got the job. "Guess what, Tank! Mommy got a new job!" she crooned at her cat. Tank meowed dispassionately and closed his eyes.

"Oh, you could at least pretend to be excited for me!" she griped as she scooped the feline into her arms. Tank was a beautiful cat with his brown coat and black, almost cheetah-like, markings. Though Tank could pass for a wild beast, he was in truth, a spoiled, lazy, overgrown baby.

"How about we celebrate with a glass of wine for me, and a big bowl of tuna for you?" she said happily. She sat Tank on the window sill above the kitchen sink and reached into the cupboard for a can of tuna. Tank perked up upon seeing the familiar looking can. "You know, we should probably move a little closer to the precinct, Tankers. I'll ask the captain if he knows any apartments up through there," she said casually. She sat the open can on the floor and smiled as her cat sailed through the air to the ground. Listening to the satisfied noises her cat was making, she turned and grabbed an almost empty bottle of wine from the cupboard. She poured herself a generous amount and reached in her pocket for her cellphone.

She dialed a number, not even needing to look at the numbers to do so. It took three rings before a voice on the other end rumbled a deep, "Hello?"

"Little brother! How ya been?" she said cheerfully.

"Hey, Sis. I'm doing okay. Can't say the same for Adaleah, though," her brother sighed. Krissabella frowned. Adaleah was her five year old niece, and she adored the child, much as the child adored her.

"What's wrong?"

"Think she has a bit of a cold. Diane's got a bad one though," her brother said sadly. Krissabella smirked. She didn't like her sister-in-law, and found some sort of twisted satisfaction when something went wrong for the conniving woman.

"Sorry to hear that, but I've got some good news!"

"Did you get the job?"

"Sure did!"

"That's great, Bella! When do you start?"

"Tomorrow morning! Captain Trumpt already sighed over my papers to my new captain. As of now, you are speaking with a detective from the Manhattan SVU unit!" she said proudly. Her brother laughed at her haughty tone.

"Congrats, Bells. I'm happy for ya," he said sincerely. They were both quiet, knowing what the other was thinking.

"You got any idea where mom is?" Bella asked quietly. It had been about nine months since either had seen their mom.

"Come on, you're the detective here, shouldn't I be asking you that?" her brother tried to joke. Bella gave him a pity laugh.

"I don't know if she'll come back this time, Connor. She looked pretty rough last time."

"Yeah, I know," Connor agreed in the same quiet voice. They sat in silence for another moment before Connor cleared his throat and took on a more cheerful tone. "Anyway, your niece is trying to refuse medicine, so I'm going to have to hop off here and pour it down her throat."

"Careful, Con. I work on child cases now, I can send you to jail for that shit," she teased. Her brother gave her a genuine laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind. I love ya, sis. Call me tomorrow and tell me how your day went, alright?"

"You can bet on it. Love ya, Bub. Give Adaleah a kiss for me!" As she hung up the phone, she heard a grotesque sound and turned her attention to the floor. She groaned and watched as Tank threw up his feast all over her freshly mopped kitchen floor. She reached for the still moist mop in the corner of the kitchen and scowled at the offending beast.

"Really, Tanks? How many times have I told you not to eat so fast! You have to breathe in between bites!" she reprimanded. Tanks gave her a meow that sounded almost sheepish, for a cat.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The next morning found John Munch sitting restlessly at his desk, awaiting the arrival of his new partner. He had been a detective for years now, and had gone through his fair share of partners, but he still felt antsy meeting new people. It was a trait the seasoned detective loathed, but hid well.

"Hello, can I help you?" he heard Liv say a few feet away. He immediately snapped his head up and took in the sight of his new partner. She had long black hair that was in loose chaotic curls, slightly frizzy. Compared to Liv's full figure, she had a petite frame, but still had soft curves.

Liv pointed in his direction and he started slightly at her eyes as she turned to him. Though they had been shocking in the picture, it was nothing compared to real life. Her green eye was a deep color, almost a hazel or a brown, while her blue eye was strikingly blue. Overall, she was a slightly beautiful woman, though in an exotic way.

"Hey there, you're Detective Munch, right?" she asked in a pleasant voice. She gave him a crooked smile and extended her hand.

"That's me. Detective Walker, I presume?" he returned her smile and took her hand.

"You presume right! You guys got any coffee?" she asked tiredly. John smirked as she suppressed a yawn. Apparently, his new partner wasn't a morning person.

"Yeah, but I don't know if I would classify it as coffee," he tossed over his shoulder as he led her to the drink table. Bella laughed at this wry humor and nodded her head.

"It can't be worse than my old precinct," she said with remembered disgust. John snorted and watched as she poured herself a cup, with only one cream. An amused grin stretched across his face as she scrunched up her nose after taking a drink.

"And, what precinct was that?" John asked to only make small talk.

"Like you really need to ask. I know you read my file," she said with a smile.

"Alright, fair enough," John stated, returning her same coy smile.

"Ah, Krissabella Walker, right?" Don said as he popped his head out his office door.

"Yes sir. You're Captain Cragen?" she asked.

"Yep. You guys mind stepping in my office for a bit?" he asked. The new partners shrugged and joined their superior in his office.

"First off, I'd like to welcome you to this unit, Mrs. Walker," Don started off.

"Please, call me Bella," Bella said to both of the men.

"Alright, then, Bella. Second of all, I really hate to shove paperwork in your face on your first day, but John's got six reports he needs finished by the end of his shift," Don said in an apologetic tone. Bella glanced at Munch and smirked as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's alright, it'll give me time to look around and find everything," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Good. Afterwards, there's an allegation report that came in by _Mrs. Chambers_," Don looked blatantly at John.

"Seriously? Again?" John asked in an exasperated voice. Bella furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Uh, anybody wanna tell me what you guys are talking about?" Bella asked.

"Miranda Chambers has called in twice in the past four weeks because she claims her husband has raped her," Cragen said in a sarcastic tone.

"And by that tone of voice, I'm guessing he didn't really rape her?"

"Nope. They get in some nasty fights, have a night of rough sex, and then if they're still fighting in the morning she cries rape. Then she feels guilty and admits she lied to get him in trouble," John answered.

"If she's made false allegations, why haven't you arrested her?"

"We did the second time, but she got off with a misdemeanor."

"This time she'll get jail time."

"Yeah, but I warn you, there's probably gonna be a fight on our hands. Mrs. Chambers is a feisty little Italian woman, with one hell of a right hook!"

"Gee, you sound like you got personal experience with that," Bella teased. John rubbed his jaw in remembrance.

"I do," he said with a grimace.

Don watched the exchange between the two detectives with quiet interest. This seemed like this might work out well. They both even had the same sardonic, wry smile plastered on their faces.

"If she hits you again, I want you to collar her for it this time. That goes for you too," he pointed at Bella, "I guess that's everything I needed to go over. I hope you have a good first day on the job, Bella," the captain said with a smile. Bella crookedly smiled back.

"Thanks, Captain."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John heaved a heavy sigh of relief as he closed the last report he was working on. He glanced up to see his partner scribbling away with a look of anguish on her face. He knew that look well. He had the same grimace on his face the first time he had to read victim's statements and read medical reports. It was hard to adjust to working with such degrading acts and abuse day in and day out.

He took this opportunity to look closely at his preoccupied new partner. The first thing he noticed that she was a lefty, which made since. It just seemed to fit in with her unique image. She had a tiny scar that ran from the left corner of her top lip up about two centimeters. It was very faint; one probably wouldn't notice it at first glance. Her hands were tiny, but had long, slender fingers. A flash of black ink caught his attention and he shifted downwards in his chair to look at her right wrist. She had a small tattoo. It was a completely black silhouette of a ballerina; the ballerina was poised on one leg, in pointe, with the other leg stretched straight behind her. One arm was stretched in front, while the other stretched behind. It was a graceful tattoo, almost as if it was in mid-dance on her skin.

He snapped his eyes back up to her face when he heard her released a deep breath. She snapped the case file shut and all but threw it to the side. A sound almost like a whine escaped her and she rubbed her eyes viciously.

"Rough stuff, huh?" John said sympathetically.

"Yeah, it is," she agreed. She stopped rubbing her eyes and gave him a tired little smile.

"It's even harder listening to the victims and dealing with them first hand. I'd like to tell you that it gets easier and you get used it, but it doesn't and you won't," he said honestly. Bella nodded and chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"That's not what I wanted to hear, but at least you're honest," she said with a dry laugh. She heard a snort and turned her attention to the man sitting at a desk to her left.

"You say that now, but wait until you've worked with him for a week," Elliot griped. Liv chuckled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Can you guys at least wait a day before turning her against me?" John sighed. Bella laughed and turned her attention back to her partner's torturers.

"I don't think we've met officially. I'm Bella," the newest detective said.

"Nice too meet ya, I'm Elliot, and this is Liv," El said as he motioned to his partner. Liv gave the woman a smile.

"Nice to meet you. Uh, can I ask you a question without you getting offended?" Liv asked.

"Wondering about my eyes?" she asked. Liv smiled shyly and nodded. "It's called heterochromia. It's a hereditary genetic mutation. Originally, both of my eyes were supposed to be like my green one, but my right eye has a lack of melanin, which makes it blue. I think my great great granny had it, and that's where I get it from," she finished with a shrug.

"Does it hurt or affect you in anyway?" Elliot asked with interest.

"Nope. I have completely normal and healthy eyes, they're just different colors," she answered.

"That's cool," Liv said in wonder. Bella smiled and shrugged once more.

"Alright, partner, you ready to go get punched in the face again?" Bella said as she turned back to John. She was ready to leave all the paperwork behind and get into field work.

"No, that's your job. I'm letting you handle the she-devil," John said seriously. Elliot and Liv chuckled as Bella rolled her eyes.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"So, why did you transfer out of Narcotics?" John asked conversationally. They were in for a long ride, seeing as how they were caught right in the middle of rush hour traffic.

"I just needed a change of pace. I was mostly tired of all the undercover assignments. I can handle the occasional couple of weeks, but constantly going underground for months at a time gets to be a little much, ya know? If I wanted to work undercover all the time I would have went into the FBI," she said. "What about you? Where did you come from?"

"I used to work Homicide back in Baltimore," he answered.

"Baltimore? Why did you move all the way from Maryland to New York?" she asked surprised.

"I'm originally from the Lower East Side down here. We moved to Maryland when I was a kid. I moved back down here after my last marriage broke up."

"Your _last_ marriage? How many times have you been married?"

"Four," he said gravely. Bella's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Whoa."

"Yeah," he sighed.

"You must really be an asshole," she teased. John shot her a glare and stomped on the brake as the cars in front of them screeched to a halt.

"No, I just happen to have horrible taste in women. The first one cheated on me, the second and third were stuck up and spoiled, and the fourth cheated on me as well," he said with venom.

"That's terrible!" Bella said sincerely.

"Yeah, but what can ya do?"

"Not pick spoiled, rich bitches?" she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. John laughed out right and nodded.

"Yeah, that might work. What about you? I don't' see a ring on your finger either."

"I've never had the pleasure of getting married. I was engaged once though."

"What happened?"

"We just slowly drifted apart I guess. I was constantly working, and leaving him alone. He always wanted to talk about my job when I was home, or what case was getting me down, but I couldn't really talk to him about it. He didn't need to know that kind of stuff."

"My third wife was like that," John sympathized.

"Yeah, it's hard. We ended up going separate ways, which really was for the best. We had fallen out of love a long time before we actually split," she sighed and rubbed her finger where the ring once was all those years ago.

"Eh, you're young. You've still got plenty of time to find prince charming."

"True, but I want kids."

"You've got another couple of years to before you have to start worrying about that."

"Yeah, I guess so. I just thought I'd be married by now and sharing my king sized bed with a man, rather than a cat," she sighed. John chuckled and nodded in understanding.

"You have a cat?"

"Yep!" her eyes immediately lit up as she started to describe the creature, "His name is Tank. He's an African Serval, which basically looks like a miniature cheetah. He looks like a wild cat, but he's really just a baby."

"I don't see how you like cats. They're freaky little creatures," he grumbled. Gwen, his first wife, had been an avid cat lover. He couldn't even begin to count the number of scratches he got throughout the week form the demonic little fur balls.

"Actually, I used to hate them. But then I found Tank at a drug raid one day, and instantly fell in love with him. I also used to have a snake and a dog too, but I had to give them up when I moved into my apartment. My land lord will only allow one animal per apartment."

"I like dogs, but a snake? Why in the word would you want a snake?" he asked bewildered. He hated snakes.

"I really like snakes, and contrary to popular belief, most of them are gentle when handled right."

"I'll take your word on that. Any other crazy animals I should know about? Tarantula? Birds? Frogs?"

"Ew, absolutely not a tarantula. I may be an animal lover, but spiders do _not _count. And defiantly not birds," he caught her shivering slightly out of the corner of his eye. "And nope, no frogs. I had a couple of lizards and a rabbit once."

"Why defiantly not birds?"

"I, uh," she started. She almost seemed embarrassed. John raised his eyebrows at her in a perplexed fashion. "I'm scared of birds," she admitted quietly.

"Okay, hold on. Let me get this straight, you aren't scared of _snakes_, but a _bird_ scares you?"

"Sounds about right, yeah."

John laughed so hard it felt like he was about to pop a lung. After a moment, Bella joined in.

"Alright, Mister Tough Guy, what are you afraid of?"

"The government," he said without missing a beat.

"I heard that," she agreed with a snort. John looked over his glasses to fix her with his signature stare.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! I don't know about you, but I don't want a space satellite watching me take a dump from outer space," she said matter-of-factly. She looked over at her partner and jumped slightly at the expression he was giving her. His mouth was slightly open, and he looked completely bewildered.

"What?" she squeaked, feeling a little self-conscious under his severe stare.

"You and I are going to get along just fine, Mrs. Walker."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Alright, brace yourself," John mumbled as he rang the Chambers' doorbell. There was shouting from inside before the door flung open; a stout Italian woman fixed them both with a scathing scowl.

"Where the hell have you been? I called early this morning, and now it's five in the afternoon!" she seethed in a deep accent.

"Is it the police?" a man's voice rang from the apartment before the detectives could respond. He pushed his wife out of the way and looked at Munch aggravatingly.

"Look, you know this crazy bitch is lying! Do we really have to do this again?" he asked.

"I'm not lying this time!" the woman seethed as she punched her husband in the arm. The man turned swiftly and pushed his wife hard enough to make her fall on her butt.

"Hey, hey! That's enough. Both of you calm the hell down!" Bella yelled as the woman got up with her fists drawn. The fighting couple glared at each other, but ultimately settled down.

"Mrs. Chambers, you do realize that if you file another false police report, you _will_ go to jail this time, correct?" Munch said tiredly. The woman bristled slightly at his words.

"Are you calling me a liar?" she growled.

"Well you did file two false reports, so you're making it hard to believe you," Bella said with a shrug. The woman let out a holler and moved to punch the detective in the face. Bella quickly side-stepped and watched as the woman fell face first onto the side walk. John sighed and moved to help the woman up.

"Let go!" she yelled and swung at John, connecting her fist with his chin.

"Son of a bitch!" John yelled and bent over, clenching his jaw. Bella huffed and moved in to save her wounded partner.

"Miranda Chambers, you are under arrest for assaulting a police officer," she began. The stout woman moved to swing, but Bella easily grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her. She slapped a pair of hand cuffs on the howling woman and shoved her into the back seat of the car after reading her her rights.

"You alright?" she called over to John.

"Yeah, but she got me in the same damned place!" he groaned. Bella stifled a giggle.

"Come on, I'll drive."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Here ya go," Krissabella said as she handed an ice pack to her partner.

"Thanks," he said. He placed it on his bruised jaw and sighed in relief.

"What did you say that made her hit you?" Liv asked amused.

"Nothing! Walker was the one that pissed her off! She fell on the ground, and I simply reached down to help her up," he growled. He shot his partner an accusing glare.

"Don't you even try to blame this on me, mister. It's not my fault you don't know how to dodge a punch!" Bella said as she put her hands on her hips.

John opened his mouth to retort, but the stern look she was giving him made him think otherwise. This woman had some sass to her, and he really didn't feel like earning another bruise on the other side of his face.

"I like you already," Liv said with a smile. Bella returned the smile and opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.

"Who arrested Miranda Chambers?" A skinny brown headed woman said haughtily as she stomped into the room. Krissabella cleared her throat and raised her hand.

"That would be me," she said. The woman turned her cold gaze on her.

"Who are you?" she said snidely. Bella bristled at her tone of voice. Krissabella was a calm woman, but she had a very quick temper and had been described as having more than enough piss and vinegar in her personality. She was black Irish, after all.

"I'm Krissabella Walker. Who are you?"

"My name is Trina Stocket, lead ADA. Is it true that you threw the detainee to the ground during your arrest?"

"Uhm, no. She went to take a swing at me, I dodged, and she fell on her face."

"Look, I know you're a rookie, but,"

"_Excuse me?_ A rookie? Mam, I've been in law for years now. I'm not a rookie, and I know the law. If you don't believe me, ask Munch," she hissed.

Stocket glanced at John and batted her eye lashes. Bella didn't try to stifle the gagging noise in her throat. Ignoring the noise, Stocket asked, "What happened, John?"

"Exactly what Walker said. Chambers swung, she dodged, Chambers fell," he said with disinterest. Her flirtatious demeanor faltered.

"Alright, well," she tilted her nose up and looked back at Bella, "Then why don't I have an accident report?"

"Because she had no visible injuries and didn't say anything about being hurt."

"Yes, and she is also an alleged rape victim. Have any of you even talked to her since throwing her in the holding cell?"

"No, because the allegations were bogus. She even apologized to Munch in the car and said she made the report because she was just angry. So, if you're done with your little character assessment will you please let me get back to my job?" Bella didn't even wait for the snide woman to reply. She turned on her heel and made her way to the restrooms. Stocket glared after her, but her expression softened when she looked a Munch.

"Make sure I have an incident report before noon tomorrow, alright?" she said in a sickly sweet voice. John nodded a jerk of the head and backed up further in his seat as the woman stalked closer. "You doing anything later?" she purred, though it sounded like something was lodged in her throat.

"Actually, I had planned on seeing if Bella wanted me to come over and put the new file system on her computer," he said, shrinking away from her overbearing perfume. The ADA immediately sneered at the mention of the new detective's name.

"Oh, come on. You can play computer programmer tomorrow. Let's go out, get a couple of drinks. I'll buy," she coaxed.

"Sorry, I told her I would today."

"Alright, another time then. Don't' forget about that report," she sighed. She gathered her fancy suitcase and walked away, her nose high in the air. The room seemed to breathe one large sigh of relief and Bella walked in not even two minutes later, still fuming.

"Did Ms. tight ass leave?" she griped. The three detectives and everyone else in ear shot laughed.

"Yeah, she took her alligator suitcase and stalked away ," Liv said.

"Good, what's her story, anyway?" Krissabella asked as she sat down at her desk with a bottle of water in hand.

"Word is she moved here from Detroit. She was suspended from a high ranking court system, but she won't say why. She's arrogant, a bitch, stuck up, but a damn good lawyer. Oh, and she has the hots for munch," Elliot said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I could tell," she smirked as her partner shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He cleared his throat.

"Tight ass says you need to write an incident report and have it in before noon tomorrow. Hey, you said you had a laptop at home with the AGEIS version 2.1 software on it, but we use AGEIS 2.5-KS here. You want me to come over and set it up for you?" he asked. He chuckled slightly at her dumbstruck expression.

"Considering how I have absolutely no idea what you just said, yes, please and thank you. But, I have to swing by and pick up my niece, because she's staying the weekend with me. Is that alright?" she asked. John shrugged and stood up to collect his coat.

"Sure, tell me where she lives and we'll drop by and pick her up," he said as he shucked his arms through the coat sleeves.

"Okay, thanks," she turned to Liv and Elliot and smiled brightly. "Goodnight guys, it was really nice meeting you!" The other two returned gestures and smiles.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"This house right here," Bella said as she pointed to a medium sized town house. He carefully pulled the car over to the curb and put it in park. "You can come in, if you want to brave meeting my sister-in-law."

"I take it you two aren't close?" he asked in amusement. She scowled at him and nodded.

"You could say that," she said before letting herself out of the car. John sat there for a moment, undecided. He really hated meeting new people informally, but he didn't want to offend Bella, so he quickly made up his mind and followed her up the short walkway to the door.

She knocked twice before the door swung open and his partner was all but knocked backwards. "Bella!" a tiny little girl squealed. John was momentarily surprised to see such a strong resemblance to his partner. The tiny girl had the same green eyes as Bella's left one, and the girl's hair was the same frizzy curls, though her hair was a bright red. The little girl's face was covered in freckles.

"Hey there!" Bella laughed and scooped the small girl in her arms. "How ya feeling?"

"My nose is stuffy, listen," she tried to breathe through her nose, but ended up making a funny clogged sound. Bella giggled and John smirked as the little girl stuck out her lower lip.

"Don't worry, I've got some stuff at my house that might help with that," Bella said before kissing her niece's bright red nose.

"You always have some kind of hippie remedy, and it always tends to work better. I told Diane I don't even know why we waste money on medicine that doesn't work when we can just go to your house and drink your special hippie tea!" Connor said from the doorway. It was immediately apparent where Bella's niece got her shockingly red hair. Her brother's hair was the same red hue, but lay straight instead of frizzy curls. His face was also spattered with freckles, and all three of them had the same deep dimples in their cheeks.

"Can you really see Diane drinking any form of tea without spices imported from China?" Bella said sarcastically. Connor laughed dryly and moved forward to hug his sister and kiss her cheek.

"Behave yourself. Who's your friend?" he asked, turning to extend his hand to John's. John took it and they shook.

"This is John Munch, my new partner. John, meet Connor, my baby brother," she introduced.

"Nice to meet you," they said simultaneously.

"And this is Adaleah," Bella said. Adaleah stuck out her small hand and smiled shyly. John took her hand gently and shook it.

"It's very nice to meet you!" John said. He smiled when the little girl giggled and hid her face in Bella's neck.

"What in the world is wrong with you, you're never shy!" Bella laughed. The only response she got was another round of giggles. Bella shook her head and asked her brother, "Her stuff packed?"

"Yeah, enter at your own risk," he mumbled.

"Diane has a pretty bad cold, you don't have to go in if you don't want to," Bella explained to John. John shrugged and smirked.

"Hey, if I get sick, that gives me a reason not to come into work next week," he said. Connor laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, you two should get along pretty well," he commented as he led them into the house. Bella rolled her eyes upon seeing her sister-in-law. The busty blonde was sprawled out on the couch, dressed in name brand slacks, and a blazer. Her hair was pinned neatly back in a French twist, and she was even wearing makeup. The only thing that gave away her sickness was her slightly puffy eyes, a red nose, and tissue bin beside her. The woman was so vain; she had to dress up even if she was sick.

"Hello, Krissabella. Who's this with you?" she asked, albeit a bit nasally.

"My new partner John," she said with lack of emotion. She turned her head and kissed her niece on the forehead, "Go get your bags, okay sweetie?"

"Okay!" the little girl squeaked. She jumped out of her aunt's arms and ran through a hallway.

"Make sure she practices her ballet. Her recital is next weekend, and she still is having trouble on her assembles," Diane said. Bella scoffed.

"Her assembles are perfectly fine!" she retorted.

"She should be pointing her toes more on her clea's!" Diane hissed.

"No, she shouldn't. If she brought her feet in any more, she would go into full pointe, and she is years away from learning pointe. She could sprain her ankles, and even break some toes. She's only been in ballet for a year, Diane," Bella replied with an eye roll.

John heard Connor sigh, "Here we go again," under his breath and had to hide his smile. He could just imagine how fun the holidays were around here.

"There are other children there that are pointing their toes more, and not going into pointe!" The angry blonde woman fumed. She sat up and crossed her arms over her ample chest.

"She's in the five to ten year old division. The older girls are taller, and can move more quickly and fluidly because they've had more years of practice. Why are you still arguing over this? I'm pretty sure I know a little bit more about this than you do," Bella said quietly. Her voice wasn't angry, but rather tired and quiet.

"Oh, excuse me. I forgot I was talking to the sugar plum fairy herself," Diane said in sarcasm.

"Alright guys, cut it out," Connor sighed. His daughter came running out of her room, bags in tow behind her. John was mildly amused to see ballet slippers on her feet. Bella's annoyed expression immediately dissolved as she picked up the tiny girl.

"You know you can't walk outside in your slippers!" she said, poking the giggling girl in the nose.

"Then you're going to have to carry me!" she exclaimed. Connor shook his head and laughed.

"You can tell she's your niece. I swear she's like a mini you!" he said as he ruffled his daughter's hair. John heard the blonde woman on the couch snicker.

"Nothing wrong with that! You got everything Lee?" Bella asked. Adaleah nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing. "Alright, then I guess we better get going. John here is going to do some computer mumbo jumbo. Uh, would you mind?" she motioned sheepishly to a car-seat that was propped up against a wall. John nodded and hoisted it up.

"Alright, it was good seeing you sis, and congratulations on the new job!" Connor said as he hugged his sister. "And you, young lady, be good!" he kissed Adaleah on the cheek before turning to extend his hand towards Munch. "It was a pleasure meeting you, I'm sincerely sorry you have to work with my sister," he said gravely. John chuckled as Bella punched her brother in the arm and stuck her tongue out. The fun ended as Diane cleared her throat.

"Goodbye Adaleah, Mommy loves you!" she said happily. Adaleah replied halfheartedly, which only caused her to scowl deepen. "Oh, and Bella, please don't let her listen to any of that rock and roll garbage. And no sweets, they aren't good for her. You hear me?" she asked snidely.

"I hear you, Diane. Goodbye," Bella said as she stomped out the door. John followed suit, mildly offended she didn't offer him any farewells. But, that was alright. He didn't imagine that they would get along in the future when they happened to cross paths either. Bella wasn't exaggerating. She had a sister-in-law from hell.

"Does this mean we can't make cookies like you promised?" came the sad little voice of Bella's niece as they walked back to the car.

Bella scoffed and said, "The first thing we're doing when we get home is baking double chocolate chip cookies, and head banging to Metallica!"

Adaleah's high pitched squeal drowned out John's chuckles.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"You live a little ways away from the precinct, how long did it take you to get there this morning?" John asked as Bella searched through her pocket for her apartment key.

"About twenty minutes. I actually meant to ask the Captain if he knew of any listings closer to the precinct, but it slipped my mind," she huffed when she couldn't get the keys out of her pocket.

"There are a few openings in my apartment complex if you're interested. It's only about five minutes away from the office," he said with a shrug.

"Really? Rent or own?" she exhaled and shifted Adaleah on her hip to fit the key in the hole.

"Depends on what floor the apartment you want is in. The lower complexes are for rent, the ones on the upper floors are to own," he replied.

"Alright, thanks. I'll check those out Monday," she said. She sighed a deep breath of relief as she finally got the door unlocked. "Please excuse the mess, and make yourself at home," she said a little bit shyly. She sat down her niece, whom immediately squealed, "Tanks!" John's eyebrows rose as a rather large cat jumped at the little girl and knocked her backwards to her butt. Bella was right; her cat looked like a miniature cheetah, but didn't act wild in the least. He was currently purring loudly and rubbing his face all over Adaleah's.

"Let me change and get my laptop real quick," Bella said over her shoulder. She disappeared into the only closed door he saw, which he assumed to be her bedroom.

John took the opportunity to look around. The apartment was rather small, and was completely open, save for the bedroom. The living room had a brown suede sofa and was accented in deep earth colors. He was momentarily surprised to find a piano shoved in the far left corner; it took up a large percentage of the space. The next thing that caught his eye was two ballet bars, one adult height, and one kid height.

He turned and found himself walking into the kitchen. There was a large wine rack, filled with a lot of half empty bottles. His partner seemed to enjoy a glass of wine frequently. He nearly jumped when he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to see the little girl staring up at him with squinted eyes.

"You're not going to tell mommy we're making cookies, are you?" she said with a distrusting gaze.

"You're secret's safe with me," John replied, holding a finger in front of his lips. The little girl smiled brightly with newfound trust.

"I like you! You're much better than mister stinky pants!" she exclaimed. John raised an eyebrow.

"Stinky pants?" he asked.

"She's talking about Sid, my old partner. His favorite food was onion rings, and that's all he smelled like, and Lee _hates_ onions," Krissabella said as she walked into the room. She had forgone the slacks and blouse for a pair of black sweat pants and a green tank top that matched her eye. She handed over her lap top and nodded towards the couch. John watched her turn swiftly on the tips of her toes and tried his best to keep his eyes off her butt. He was a man after all, and a deprived one at that.

"It's kind of been slow lately, but it runs okay," she said, motioning to the computer, "Uh, is there anything I can get you?" she asked awkwardly. John waved her off and set into work.

"Ready to make those cookies?" he heard her ask the little girl.

"Duh!" she exclaimed. They quickly set to work, mixing dry ingredients and wet together to make the dough. John listened in as he started downloading the right material.

"Stop eating the batter, or we won't have any left to bake, you twerp! I'm going to scoop these on the pan and put them in the oven. How about you go get changed and bring me my shoes and we'll practice while they're baking, okay?" Bella asked as she sat the girl down off the counter.

"Okay!" she yelled happily. John smirked as the little girl practically fell over herself rushing to the bedroom to get dressed. A moment later, his partner joined him on the couch.

"I really appreciate you doing this. I'm pretty stupid when it comes to computers," she admitted.

"It's not a problem. How long have you been dancing?" he asked mildly. He sat back and allowed the program to start installing.

"I've been doing it since I was about six I guess," she shrugged and scratched at her hand.

"So you like rock and roll and death metal, but you're a ballerina and play the piano?" he said with a raised eyebrow. "You're a walking, talking contradiction."

Bella laughed and stood up to move the ballet bars to the center of the room. "What can I say? I've never been one to be called normal," she joked. John snorted at her dry humor.

"Okay, ready!" Leah came running out, clad in a leotard and slippers. She handed over he aunt's pointe shoes before immediately going to the bar and placing her leg on it. John watched in curiosity as Bella laced up her shoes with practiced ease. She rose straight onto her tiptoes and easily placed a foot on the bigger bar before bending backwards to hold onto her ankle that was closer to the floor. John's eyebrows rose. She was awfully flexible for not having warmed up first. He supposed it came with years of practice.

He watched in wonderment as his partner called out instructions to her niece, and all the while did her own more advanced moves. She moved with such fluid grace that her body seemed to just do it on its own. A loud beep drew his attention as the computer had finally completed the update. Bella paused then and turned to him, still in pointe.

"All done?" she asked. John nodded and closed the laptop.

"It works about the same, but the searches include more data than Narcotics does. If you have any problems with it let me know," he stood up and stretched his aching back.

"Alright, thank you! The cookies smell about done, want me to send you a few home?" she asked.

"Well, I'm not one to turn down free food," he said with a smile. Bella returned his smile and quickly got the cookies out of the oven, all the while smacking her niece's hand.

"They're hot, you silly goose! Let them cool down first!" she said. Leah huffed and crossed her arms. A second later, she had packed up a few cookies and handed them to her partner.

"Thanks again for everything. It was great to meet you," she said extending her hand.

"Don't mention it. Same to you, I'll see ya Monday," he said as he shook her hand. He turned to leave but was halted by a hand on his shirt.

"Wait! Bye Johnnie!" Leah called. John smiled and patted her head.

"See ya later kid, thanks for the cookies!" he tossed over his shoulder.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John frowned as he ate the final bit of his last cookie. His partner sure knew how to bake! He should have asked for more than three. He sighed and downed the last of his milk. After washing the glass, he slinked to his bedroom and slid beneath the covers. He originally hadn't looked forward to having a new partner, but Bella wasn't so bad he supposed.

She seemed nice enough, but a little bit odd. She was an individual- that was for sure. It was too early to tell anything yet, so with a full stomach, he managed to fall asleep without any trouble for once.

**All right, so there it is! What did ya think? It's a little slow now, but all first chapters are :p Please Review and subscribe. I love honest reviews, whether they be constructive criticism or flames!**


	2. It's Not the Dimples

**AN- Holy frikken crickets guys! I'm so sorry for this late update!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own SVU or the original characters**

**IT'S NOT THE DIMPLES**

"Hey there, partner," John said cheerfully as his partner all but crawled into the precinct.

"Do yourself a favor, and don't talk to me until I've had a cup of coffee," she mumbled grumpily. John chuckled and watched her throw her stuff on her desk before stalking away to the coffee pot. She came back to her desk and flopped down into her chair. Her face drew up into a wince after she chugged on the too hot liquid. She sighed and laid her head down on the desk with a loud thump.

"So, think you're ready for an actual case, newbie?" John asked after she had downed half of her glass.

"Hell yeah. You got something already?" Her head popped up and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Are you kidding? There's always something around here, or did you not see the large amount of case files I have yet to wade through?" he said sarcastically and pointed to the new stack of papers and files in his bin. Bella scowled at his attitude. It was far too early to be snide.

"Okay then, smart ass, what's the complaint?" she said with through gritted teeth. John raised his eyebrows at her sudden aggravation.

"Man, you weren't kidding about not talking to you until you've had your coffee," he mumbled at her with a frown. Bella rolled her eyes and downed another hot swallow. "Tori Green, age twenty-two. Says she was on her way back home when a man grabbed her and raped her in an alley way. That's about all we got before she passed out. Perp knocked her out by hitting her over the head with a blunt object afterwards. Hospital called about an hour ago, she's awake."

Bella nodded and finished the last swig of her coffee. "Alright then, let's get this show on the road," she said slightly more cheerful. John shook his head at her change in demeanor. He grabbed his coat and followed his partner to the elevators, just in time to see Liv and El arrive.

"Good morning, guys," Bella greeted.

"Morning," they said in unison.

"You guys heading out all ready?" Liv asked.

"Yeah, call came in earlier this morning," John replied with a sigh.

"We'll probably see you out on the road at some point. Enjoy your first real day on the job," Elliot said as he turned to Bella.

"Thanks, catch you guys later," Bella said with a slight yawn. She walked into the elevator, not waiting for a reply. Liv and El gave John questioning looks, to which John merely shrugged.

"She's not a morning person," he said simply before joining his partner in the elevator.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Sorry for being a butthole earlier, but I honestly wasn't kidding about the coffee thing," Bella said shyly beside him in the passenger seat.

"It's alright, I'll just make sure you've had a cup and a half before I even tell you good morning," he said. He smirked at her slight blush.

"Probably a good idea. By the way, my niece is pretty smitten with you," she said lightly.

"Oh? What makes you think that?" John asked with a smile. Truth be told, he was fond of the little girl.

"Well, for starters, she's demanding that you come to her dance recital. So, count yourself formally invited," she said.

"When is it?"

"Saturday at six o'clock. You can ride with me, if you'd like."

"Alright, sounds good. I'll be there."

"Are you sure? If you have other plans, she'll understand," Bella asked nervously. She'd just met her partner, and she really didn't want to make him feel forced into anything.

"In case you haven't noticed, I have no life. A five year old's dance recital is more exciting than staying home and doing laundry," John said with a snort.

"Alright, if you're sure. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Have you thought anymore about the apartments in my complex for sale? 'Cause I talked to the owner this weekend."

"Yeah, I planned on checking them out later, if we get off at a decent time. What the owner say?"

"There's two, one bedroom apartments for rent on the second floor, both nine hundred a month for rent, and there's a two bedroom apartment for sale on the fourth floor, but I'm not sure how much."

"I'd rather have two bedrooms for when Lee stays with me. Little shit kicks awfully hard in her sleep. Thanks for asking, I'll check them out later," she paused for a moment before sheepishly asking, "Uh, where exactly is your complex?"

"On the corner of Fifth and Trinidad. I'll take you up there after work, if you want," he offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Well, it makes since, considering I live there. It's not like I'm going out of my way" he said with a shrug.

"Fair enough. Thanks, John."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Excuse me, we're here for a Tori Green," John said to a nurse as he flashed his badge. The nurse nodded, made a phone call, and motioned to a doctor that was quickly approaching.

"SVU?" he asked curtly. John nodded and the doctor motioned for them to follow. "Your victim's name is Tori Green. A couple of passerby's found her lying unconscious in an alley way. She has minimal vaginal tearing, but the rape kit turned up semen. She was hit in the head with a blunt object, most likely something wooden, I sent the pieces and kit to your lab. She has a mild concussion, and is still pretty shook up. I'd advise you to try to keep her calm. If she starts to get too wound up, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he reported professionally and quickly. They stopped at room number 273, and he nodded towards the door. "Press the call button if you need anything, I should be somewhere close by."

"Thank you," Bella said. The doctor nodded, looked at his pager, and quickly walked away. With a sigh, John opened the door. There was a pretty young girl lying in the bed. She had few stitches that were visible along her hairline before they disappeared deeper into her hair.

"Hello, Tori, my name is Detective John Munch, and this is my partner, Bella Walker. Do you feel up to answering a few questions?" John asked gently. The blonde girl nodded, but refused to meet their eyes.

"Do you think you can tell us what happened?" John asked.

"I uh, I don't know. It all happened pretty quick," Tori said quietly. Her voice cracked as if she was fending off tears. Bella stepped closer and smiled gently.

"Take your time. Can you remember where or when you were walking when it happened?" Bella asked. John was pleased to see his partner was handling this well. Many new SVU detectives got aggravated with how slow the questioning process could be with a victim.

"I was coming home from work a little bit after eight, on Lexington. I just passed Tranny's pet store when-when," she trailed off and bit her lip.

"You're doing well, Tori. I know this next part is going to be hard, but we really need to know exactly what happened," Bella said softly. Tori shut her eyes tightly and nodded.

"A man grabbed me off the street and pulled me into that alleyway. He lifted my skirt and p-pulled my panties down, and he," she paused and choked on a sob. Bella frowned and looked away. After a moment, Tori calmed down and continued. "After he got done, he hit me with something. That's all I remember," she whispered. Her eyes filled up with tears again, and John handed her a tissue off the nurse's station. She gave him a gracious smile and blew her nose.

"Can you describe him at all? How tall he is, what he was wearing, or maybe how he smelled?" John asked. He glanced at his partner, whom was staring at the ground. He knew it was hard, hearing this and seeing a victim this way for the first time.

"He was taller than me, I think my head touched his chin," Tori said after a moment of thinking, "And his hands were really dirty, like they had black smudges all over them."

John scribbled that down on his notepad and gave Tori a reassuring smile. "You've done really well. Don't worry, we'll get this guy. You just take an easy and get to feeling better, alright?" John said. Tori smiled back halfheartedly and wished them both a farewell.

Outside the hospital room, John watched his partner run her fingers through her hair and pop her neck. "You alright?" John asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said with a tired smile. John squinted his eyes.

"Liar," he accused as he began walking to the exit.

"Yeah, well. Just hard stuff to listen to," she mumbled. They were both silent until they got back to the car.

"Hey, John, can I ask you something?" Bella asked timidly.

"Shoot for it."

"How do you pretend everything is normal, ya know, after seeing all this? Doesn't it, you know, kill your sex drive or something?" she asked awkwardly. She was mortified to feel herself blush. John snorted.

"Bella, I haven't had a single date since coming into this damned unit, much less a night of sex. Liv says all her dates are either a little too interested or disgusted with the topic, and Elliot's marriage is failing," he said honestly. Bella frowned and looked out the window.

"Well, that wasn't the answer I was hoping for," she mumbled under her breath. John snickered.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"You guys seem busy," Bella commented to Liv and El as she sat down at her desk.

"The captain filled us in while you guys were talking to the vic. How is she?" Elliot asked. He turned around to stick a picture of Tori and the splinters recovered from her scalp on the cork board.

"She's doing alright, but still shaken up. She was helpful though," Bella said. She listed the description and play by play Tori had given them.

"She was knocked out with a piece of a bloody wooden crate found at the crime scene; the blood's a match for our vic. No matches for the semen or the prints left on the wood in the system. The black smudges that were on her skin came off the perp's hands. It was ink, the same kind found on newspapers," Liv read from the CI's report.

"Well that should narrow it down. If the dude's hands are covered in it, then we can assume he works in newsprint, right? Or distributes it?" Bella said. John nodded and turned to his computer. He searched for anyone that had a record that worked in or with newsprint. The computer made two dinging noises, notifying that it had come up with possible matches.

John stiffened slightly as Bella leaned her head over his shoulder to take a closer look, her breath tickling his ear. If she noticed his hardened posture, she didn't show it. She reached her arm over his other shoulder to point at one of the people on the screen.

"What about this guy? He works three blocks from where Tori was attacked and he's got a record. Oh, and this guy," she pointed to a man three down from the first, "He's got a record, too," she said. John nodded and glanced at her hind side as she walked back to her desk. He mentally chastised himself and scowled. He made a mental note to get laid soon before grabbing his coat and motioning for his partner to follow.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John had given up keeping his eyes off his partner's ass. He was a man after all, and his partner, while not gifted in the bust department(He guessed a B cup), was quiet gifted in her hind quarters. The fact she wore tight fitting slacks didn't help either.

"What floor did you say his apartment was on again?" Bella mumbled from up ahead. The elevator in the shabby building wasn't working, so the detectives were forced to climb the stairwell. Though, John couldn't complain. He had a pretty good view from behind his partner.

"The very top floor," he answered. He smirked at her groan. "Hey, why are you complaining? You're the one with the in-shape legs. We're only on the second floor and I'm wheezing," which wasn't too far from the truth. He really needed to get back in shape.

"You could always join me for ballet sometime," she teased. She laughed at the snort John gave.

"Sorry, but I'm not a pink tights and tutu kind of man," he said. Bella giggled and looked over her shoulder at him.

"I don't know, I think you could rock a tutu, but it would have to be black, not pink," she giggled further at his pretend scowl.

"Absolutely not."

"What a pity. Adaleah and I could use a new dance mate," she said with a dramatic sigh.

"I think I'd break my neck. It goes against the law of physics how you stand on your toes and bend backwards and all that."

"Just comes with practice, plus being double jointed helps," she said with a shrug. She turned her attention frontwards again to focus on her footing. Though she was light on her feet, she had a bad habit of being clumsy when stairs were concerned.

John's eyes drifted downwards and he said, "I'm sure," a small smirk formed on his lips. Bella heard the under tone in his voice and looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. John smiled and gave her an innocent look. Bella squinted her eyes at him before turning her attention back to the stairs. She felt herself blush and rolled her eyes at herself. It had been awhile since she had gotten any sort of attention from the opposite sex.

She cleared her throat and pointed to the top of the stairs and said, "Look! I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel!" She sighed in relief and practically ran up the last set of steps to the fifth floor door.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The first thing that became immediately apparent when the suspect opened the door was that he was a heavy weed smoker. The smell immediately hit the two detectives in the face, making Bella crinkle her nose.

"Mr. Mosley, I'm detective Munch, this is detective Walker. We'd like to come in and ask you a few questions," John said.

"Am I under arrest?" Leonard Mosley asked.

"No, but," John started but was immediately cut off.

"Then I have nothing to say," he started to close the door, but Bella slapped her hand on it and pushed it back open.

"You can either talk to us, or we can come back with a court order to find the stuff you're toking on in here," she hissed. The man, slightly stoned, stopped to think.

"I guess I'll see you later then," he said with a smirk. He then promptly slammed the door in Bella's face. Bella growled and kicked at the door.

"Easy killer. We'll call the ADA and get a warrant in less than twenty," John said with an amused smile. Bella crossed her arms childishly and pouted.

"Fine, but you better call. Tight ass would probably hang up on me," she muttered. John shook his head at her childish display and dialed the number.

"Hey, Trina, it's John," John said in a cheerful voice.

Bella heard the voice on the other end croon out, "Oh, John! What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could use your extensive knowledge of law to get a warrant?" John asked. He glared as Bella made gagging sounds in the back of her throat.

"Of course! Anything for you! Come by, I'll have it waiting for you," she said in what Bella assumed was supposed to be a seductive voice.

"You're the best, Trina," John said before hanging up.

"You're the best, Trina!" Bella mocked in a high pitched voice. She crinkled her nose and began stomping back down the stairwell. "You're pathetic, John!"

"Hey, would you rather wait up to two hours for a warrant to process?" he said defensively. He quickly decided he liked his partner when she was aggravated. She had a cute little pout and scrunched up her nose.

"Don't whine about how annoying she is behind her back, and then flirt with her!" she tossed over her shoulder. If there was one thing Krissabella hated, it was a two-faced individual.

"Hey, I'm a detective. If there's something that helps me do my job, I'm going to use it," John said with a shrug. Bella scoffed.

"There's a difference between being a good detective and blurring the line of morality," she hissed. John smirked as she stomped a little harder on the steps.

"True, but it's tight-ass, remember?" he said.

"I don't care. Trina Stocket may be a bitch, but she's still human. It's shitty to toy with someone's emotions like that, just to further your own agenda!" she growled. John raised his eyebrows. His partner sure was a spitfire when it came to things she was adamant about. She stopped suddenly, and turned on her heel. Being short to begin with, and on a step lower than his, she only came up to the bottom of his chest. The dark look on her face paired with a coy smile made him swallow thickly. She could be intimidating when she wanted to be.

"If you _**ever**_ use me like that, or talk behind my back, I'll make sure they never find your body," she said in a low voice. John's eyebrows raised and he threw his arms in the air.

"Yes mam!" he said. He was sure she was kidding.

Right?

"Good. If we're going to be partners, I want absolutely nothing but honesty between us. You got a problem? Tell me, not everyone else. You be straight up with me, I'll be straight up with you," she said, smiling now. John lowered his arms and extended his hand.

"Deal," John said with a smile. Bella shook his hand before turning and descending down the steps. John shook his head at how quickly her aggravation left her. That was too bad; she really was adorable when her feathers were ruffled.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"John!" Trina Stocket said happily when he walked through her front office door. Her smile quickly faded when she caught sight of Bella following closely behind. "Walker," she said with a tiny nod.

"Stocket," Bella replied with a return nod.

"I got your warrant, right here," she said and handed it to John with a smile. "So, about that rain check for drinks? I'll still buy!" she said seductively with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Bella snorted from the doorway and watched her partner with interest. Did he take anything she said to heart, or was he still going to jerk her around?

"Well, ya see, Bella is looking for a new place, and we had agreed to go check into an apartment in my complex a little later," John said apologetically. Bella frowned and crossed her arms. There was no way in hell she was letting him use her as an excuse.

"Actually, John, it's no big deal. We can postpone for tomorrow, why don't you go out and have a good time?" she said with a sly smile. It widened to a full grin when John shot her a dark look.

"No, that's okay. I promised," John said. She could hear the quiet pleading undertone in his voice.

"It's okay. You said you don't get out much, so go ahead and go. I'll just go home and read or something," she said with a shrug. John frowned and turned to a hopeful looking Trina.

"Seems your schedule just opened up, so how about it?" Stocket swooned. Bella saw John swallow and had to stifle a dark chuckle. Her partner looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"I don't know, I'm awfully tired. Not tonight, okay?" John said with a nervous rub to the back of his neck. Trina looked crestfallen and looked down to the floor. She ran a hand through her thin hair.

"Yeah, okay. Another time, then," she said quietly. Bella actually felt pity for the usually sour woman.

"Thanks for the warrant, Stocket. We'll send the paperwork over a little later," Krissabella said gently. Trina looked up and they both shared a knowing look. Trina gave her a small smile and a nod.

"No problem. Thanks," she said as she sat back behind her desk. The two detectives left quickly, John still quietly fuming.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Are you ever going to talk to me again?" Bella asked over her shoulder. The partners were once again ascending the stair well to the suspect's apartment.

"That depends. Anything else you feel the need to correct in my life?" he asked snidely. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Well, now that you mention it, your desk is a mess, you could improve on your handwriting so I can actually read what in the hell you write in your reports, and you drive like a sixteen year old boy who just got his license," she teased. John growled from behind her and she smirked.

"Very funny," he griped. Bella sighed and she felt her patience wearing thin.

"Oh, come on, John. Get over it already," Bella hissed.

"I thought partners were supposed to have each other's backs?" he said snidely. He nearly ran into her face first when she spun around and placed her hands on her hips.

"Of course, I have your back, you moron. However, that doesn't mean you can use me as an excuse to dig you out of a hole you've dug yourself into!" she said quietly, dangerously. The two partners stood there for a moment, almost nose to nose, each silently fuming.

"Yeah, alright, you're right," John said after a moment. He exhaled and felt his anger drain away. Krissabella sighed and smiled, her dimples immediately caught his attention.

"Now that that's over with, think we can go arrest this guy?" she asked jokingly. John felt himself returning her smile and he nodded.

"Yeah, let's do it."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John frowned when he caught sight of his partner sitting at her desk with her head in her hands. The afternoon had been slightly rough on her. Leonard Mosley's arrest and questioning had gone all according to plan. His DNA proved to be a match to the semen from the rape kit, and Tori immediately picked him out of the lineup. Unfortunately, it was when Tori was exiting the squad room where things suddenly got bad. Mosley was being led to the cage the exact same time Tori was passing it. Tori freaked out and started screaming obscenities at her attacker and charged at him; It was all Bella could do to drag the crazed woman off of him. Then, she fell apart right in Bella's arms. She handled it well though, much to John's pride.

She took the girl into a private room and was in there for the better part of an hour. They came out, Tori with a tear stained face, and Bella with a slightly puffy eyes. Did he have questions? Of course he did. However, he wasn't going to ask. What goes on behind closed doors while bonding with a victim was private.

"Hey there, partner. How you doing?" he asked gently from across his desk. She raised her head and gave him a weak smile.

"I'm okay," she said with a strong front; John could see right through it.

"Ya know, you did a good thing. Most detectives have a hard time bonding with victims," he said conversationally.

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, really," he said mockingly. He smiled as she gave him a playful glare.

"She didn't have too happy of a home life," she said seriously after a quiet second. John's eyebrows rose.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she said vaguely. She had a faraway look in her eyes.

"Is that what you bonded so well over?" John asked hesitantly. She gave him a sad little smile, but said nothing. She didn't have to, the answer was all in her stiffened body language. John frowned and immediately decided to drop the subject.

"Hey, you still want to go check out those apartments?" he said in what he hoped wasn't a too hopeful sounding voice. She gave him a quick smile and nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Hey there, Marcus, thanks for coming down," John said as he extended his hand to a portly looking man. He was about as tall as Bella(without heels), and was wearing an expensive looking suit. He obviously had plenty of money, but still seemed like an approachable man.

"Not a problem, John. This is Mrs. Krissabella Walker, I assume?" he asked as he turned to Bella. He extended his hand, and Bella took it.

"Please, call me Bella," she said courteously. The older man smiled and nodded.

"Alright then, Bella. I say, you forgot to mention how lovely your new partner was, Munch!" he said accusingly. John smirked at Bella's slight blush and shrugged.

"Must have slipped my mind, I suppose," John said with a shy smile towards his partner. She rolled her eyes in feigned annoyance, but the tell-tell signs of her blush gave her away.

"I don't blame you. I'd keep her all to myself too if she was my partner!" Marcus said unabashed. John laughed a little embarrassedly and rubbed a hand to the back of his neck.

"Uh, about the apartments, I think Bella was interested in buying the one on the fourth floor," John said, praying to get Marcus off the subject of his partner.

"Ah, yes. The one across from yours, correct?" Marcus said. He was suddenly serious and in complete businessman mode.

"Yeah."

"Okay, it's three-hundred and twenty five thousand. If you are interested, then we can talk payment plans later on. Would you like to go up and see it?" he asked. Bella nodded and did some figure working in her head. It was a lot of money to consider. She'd have to cut back on a lot of things, but assuming the monthly payments were decent enough, it was manageable. She followed John and Marcus to the elevator and listened vaguely to their idle small talk. Once on the fourth floor, they led her to room 60.

"Here we are, room sixty. It's two bedrooms, one bath," Marcus said as he unlocked the door. Bella eagerly stepped inside and took a look around. The apartment looked almost like her old one, just vastly bigger. It had, for the most part, an open floor plan. The living room was a good size, and she noted happily that there would be enough room for her piano and ballet bars to fit comfortably. The kitchen opened immediately to the right and had a small section beside the window for a small table. To the left of the living room was a hallway. The door on the left led to a small guest room, while the door on the right opened up to a decent sized master bedroom with set of French doors leading out to a small balcony. The door at the end of the hall was the bathroom that had a large claw footed bathtub that also served as a shower.

"Hey, how come she has such a nice tub?" John asked, mildly jealous.

"The last resident scratched up the old one, and I was able to get this one for a good price," Marcus said with a shrug.

"No fair!" John mumbled. Bella smirked and patted him on the shoulder.

"Stop pouting! I guess I can let you use my bath tub every once in a while, but you have to bring your own soap!" she said with a smile. John returned it and nodded.

"Have I ever told you you're my favorite partner? Cause you are," he said with a sigh. She laughed and nudged him playfully with her elbow.

"Well, what do you think?" Marcus asked. Bella took a quick look around once more before nodding slowly.

"I do believe I'm interested. What would the monthly payments be?" she asked.

"Fifteen hundred is usually the standard I go by. That alright?" Marcus asked. Bella bit her lip and did some quick mental math. It was higher than what she wanted, but it was doable.

"Yeah, that sounds okay," she said after a few more seconds of decision making. Marcus clapped his hands together and smiled.

"Excellent! Are you ready to move, or are there any last preparations you have to make for your old home?" he asked.

"No, I've got my rent paid off for this month and next, I'm move-in ready," she said.

"Splendid. Come down to my office and we'll talk down payment and do the paperwork!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

An hour later found the partners headed back to drop Krissabella off at her house. "So I guess you're my partner _and_ my neighbor now!" John said with a smile.

"Guess so! You realize Adaleah is going to drive you crazy when she realizes you leave across from me, right?" she said with a smirk. John shrugged.

"As long as she doesn't eat all my bagels, she's welcome any time," he smiled when that earned him a laugh.

"Well, you're in luck. She hates bagels," she said. She giggled when he sighed over dramatically in relief.

"You want some help moving in?" John asked.

"Are you sure? I mean, you've done so much already," she said hesitantly.

"If I didn't mean it I wouldn't have asked. I don't mind."

"Well, yeah, if you're sure you don't care. Thanks, John," she said with a smile.

"No problem. When you wanna move in?"

"I was thinking Friday, since we're both off that day?"

"Alright, Friday. I'll be there."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it. I'll rent a truck, start early morning, and hopefully have everything in the apartment by Saturday afternoon," she said. After another moment she groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"Problem?" John asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Lee is spending the night Friday and I have to have her dressed and ready by five thirty on Saturday for her recital," she sighed and smiled tiredly. "I well, who needs sleep, right?" she said wryly. John smirked at her dry humor and nodded.

"Seems we're going to have a busy weekend," he agreed as he pulled his car over in front of her building.

"Sounds like it. Hey, you want to come up for dinner? It's the least I can do since you're going through all this trouble to help me out," she asked. John was about to decline, he was longing for a nap, but something made him change his mind.

He refused to believe the dimples and her crooked smile was the reason.

"It's no trouble, but like I said before, I'm not one to decline free food," he said.

"Awesome! Uh, do you like spaghetti?" she asked.

"One of my favorites."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Tanky-poo!" Bella squealed as her freakishly large cat lunged up into her arms. John watched in amusement as she nuzzled the cat's head and cooed softly at it.

"What?" she asked roughly once she noticed him smirking at her. He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. She huffed in slight embarrassment and sat the cat down on the floor. Tank immediately walked up and rubbed against John's legs.

"Well don't be rude! He's trying to say hello!" Krissabella chastised and placed her hands on her hips. With a roll of his eyes, John bent over and petted the feline, whom immediately began to purr powerfully.

"There, that better?" he asked.

"Much," she tossed over her shoulder as she walked to her bedroom, "Gonna change real quick. Make yourself at home!" John watched as she closed the door behind her. He made his way to the kitchen and took a seat at the tiny table.

"_Mew_," came a deep meow from Tanks. He was seated three feet away on the floor, looking at John with a blank expression.

"What do you want, Furball?" he asked. John's eyebrows rose when the cat narrowed its eyes at him, almost as if it understood. Another deep meow came from the feline.

"You're an annoying little thing, aren't you?" he said with a sneer. He heard a growl come from the direction of Bella's bedroom and turned to see her standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She had once more forgone the slacks and dress shirt for a pair of dark blue sweats and white tank top.

"Not being mean to my cat, are you, Munch?" she asked menacingly. John immediately shook his head no.

"Not at all," he said. Tanks meowed, and John swore, if cats could talk, Tank would have said 'Liar.' He shot an angry glare at the cat.

"I hope not. The last time Connor kicked at him, I broke his nose," she said. She opened the fridge and began gathering ingredients.

"You broke his nose because he kicked your cat?" John asked incredulously.

"Well, it was an accident really. I was going to kick him really hard in the stomach, but he sat down when I went to kick, and I ended up hitting his face instead," she said with what sounded like pride.

"You're not sorry at all, are you?" John asked, not even hiding his amusement. She gave him a devious smile over her shoulder as she opened the package of noodles.

"Not in the slightest!" she said with an evil chuckle that could only be described as cute in John's mind. He openly laughed and stood up to take the peppers from her hand.

"I'll cut these," he offered. Krissabella smiled and gladly handed them over. She hated the smell of peppers. No matter how much she washed her hands or how hard she scrubbed, the smell always lingered on her hands.

"By the way, just so you know, if I ever get angry with you and you want to get on my good side again, I suggest you make me cookies," he said. He smiled at her shy little laugh.

"Liked those, did you?"

"I was disappointed when I ran out."

"I bake them almost every weekend when Adaleah comes over. I'll send her over with a batch since you'll be right across the hall."

"I did mention you were my favorite partner earlier, didn't I?" he said with a sigh. Bella huffed out a laugh and shook her head. "So, where did you learn to cook? Your mother?" he asked. He frowned when he saw her shoulders stiffen slightly. It took her a moment to answer.

"Actually, it was the last foster mom I lived with. Her name was Luanne O'Brien, but we all called her Mama Lu. She was in her early sixties and was one of those granny-types that was always cooking in the kitchen. We used to spend hours in the kitchen throwing together random concoctions, we even made our own cookbook," she smiled fondly at the memory, "She gave it to me right before she died last year." John stopped cutting and stared at his partner in interest with the new information she just shared. She was still softly smiling at whatever fond memory she was reliving.

"Sounds like she was a great woman," he said after a moment. He resumed cutting, but kept his partner in the corner of his vision.

"Oh she was, but she was definitely strict. One time I came home after curfew, smelling like beer, and I swear to you, that woman chased me around the house with a damn broom for at least an hour," she said with a tiny laugh. "But, I can't complain none. I was a brat that needed shaping up."

"Yeah, I saw your juvenile record," John said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and fought off a blush.

"Like I'm the first person in the world to get busted for pot or destroying public property!" she said with a huff.

"Destroying public property?" John asked with curiosity. Bella looked as if she smelled something foul as her face twisted into a sneer.

"It wasn't even me that did it! One of my friends decided to let off a bunch of fireworks in a glass phone booth, and I took the blame because he was already on probation," she said in annoyance. It was duly noted that she was chopping up the onions with a little bit more force than necessary. John held back a laugh and just nodded in response.

"And the petty theft charge that was dropped?" he asked. He was mildly surprised to hear Bella laugh.

"That was Mama Lu's fault. Okay, well I deserved it, but still. I stole her car to go to New Jersey with some friends for a big party that was going on up there. Mama Lu told me that if I took her car, she would call the police, and I didn't believe her, which was stupid of me. We got pulled over at the border, and I got arrested and spent the night in jail. Lu came and got me out the next morning and then dropped the charges," she said. John chuckled and shook his head.

"So really, the only thing that you actually did illegally and got arrested for was pot?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep! Well, the only illegal thing that I got _busted _ for was pot," she said with a sly smile. John returned it and started laughing. "What?" she asked with a small laugh.

"Your list of contradictions is growing!"

"What do you mean?"

"You used to be a bad ass and you listen to death metal, yet you are a ballerina and can play the piano?" he said as he looked at her over his glasses. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he saw her lips twitching in effort to fight off a smile.

"Actually, I'm still a bad ass!" she said as she lost the battle and smiled. John laughed and dumped the peppers into the pot with the sauce she was boiling. She handed him two slices of French bread, garlic powder, and butter to create the garlic toast with. He quickly set to work as she stirred the noodles and added a pinch of salt.

"Alright, well what about you?" she asked after a moment.

"What about me?"

"Don't play innocent. I'm sure you weren't the poster child of perfection when you were a kid either," she pointed a wooden spoon covered in sauce at him. He frowned and pretended to be hurt.

"What makes you think I was a bad kid?" he asked. She gave him a pointed look, to which he sighed. "Alright, I wasn't perfect, but I was close to it," he smirked at her disagreeing scoff. "The only trouble I got in was a possession charge," he paused at her expectant look and shrugged. "What can I say, I was a true hippie."

"I knew it," Bella said with a smug grin.

"Did not," he scoffed. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, I saw you breathing in when we were arresting that asshole earlier! I know a pot head when I see one, John," she said. She smiled widely when she heard him mumble something that sounded like 'Know it all' under his breath.

"Oh shut up," he growled. She laughed and moved so he could put the newly seasoned and buttered bread in the oven. She moved over to the sink to drain the water from the pasta, and he moved to stir the beef.

"So, anything else?" she asked.

"I got thrown out of the military for being a wise-ass," he said almost smugly. Bella paused to openly gape at him for a moment.

"Good lord, Liv and Elliot weren't kidding when they said you were an over-bearing smart ass, were they?" she said with wonder. John grinned.

"Nope, and now you're stuck with me!" he said with fake enthusiasm.

"Lucky me," Bella sighed as she poured the noodles in with the sauce and began mixing.

"Hey, I'm not that bad, am I? I helped find you an apartment, and I'm even going to help you move in!" he said defensively.

"That's true. I guess you're not all bad," she teased. John gave her his signature look over his glasses before pouring the hamburger in with the mixture.

"Yeah, well you're not a bed of roses either, lady! You're an evil witch in the morning, and you're extremely bossy!" he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, but I also cook you amazing food, help you on paperwork when you're behind, and I gave you permission to use my new tub when I move in!" she countered. John took on a look of deep thinking and even went as far to tap his chin.

"Alright, I guess you're acceptable," he said after a moment. Bella pouted and got the bread out of the oven.

"Thought you said I was your favorite partner?" she grumbled. John laughed and watched as she stood on her ballerina tip toes(as he had begun to call them) to get two plates and two glasses out of the cupboard. It was then that her phone began to ring. She let out an exasperated sigh and managed to click talk and speaker phone while balancing the dishes in her arms.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey there, sis," Connor's voice rang out from the other end. John watched as her face immediately lit up and she smiled.

"Hey Con! How's it going?" she handed John a plate and motioned to the spaghetti.

"Can't complain none, just called to ask if you've seen Leah's leotard."

"Yes, actually, she left it here yesterday. I meant to call and tell you earlier, but I got busy," she said. John held back a chuckle when she gave the phone an apologetic look; it was as if she was looking at her brother instead of a device.

"It's no big deal. Why you been busy?"

"John and I went to his complex to check on an apartment. I'm actually buying an apartment up there. I paid the down payment today, and am moving in Friday!" she said excitingly. John handed her the spoon and she moved to plate her spaghetti.

"That's great! I'd offer to help, but I've got to work."

"It's fine, John's already offered to help," she shot him a grateful smile from across the table as they sat down to eat.

"Oh, really? That's nice of him. Adaleah really likes that guy, she wouldn't shut up about him yesterday!"

"Yeah, I know, she invited him to her recital," Bella said with a laugh. There was a pause and a noise on the other end that sounded a lot like Adaleah yelling. John raised his eyebrows at his partner, whom nearly shrugged in return.

"Okay, okay! Down child! Please talk to your niece before she explodes," Connor said with an exasperated sigh. John chuckled around a mouthful of spaghetti.

"Alright, put her on."

"Hi, Bellsie! Did you ask Johnnie?" Adaleah said with barely pent up eagerness.

"Why don't you ask him, he's here too. You're on speaker phone."

"Oh, okay! Hi Johnnie!" she squeaked.

"Hey there, kid."

"Will you come to my ballet recital? Please?" she asked in a sugary-sweet voice.

"I'll be there," John said. He smiled as a girlish squeal of glee erupted from the phone.

"Yay! Thank you Johnnie! You'll really like it! We're doing Beauty and the Beast. I'm playing a rose, and my tutu is red. Oh! And I have to wear lipstick, and my tights are white, and my-"

"Adaleah, calm down and take a breath sweetie!" Bella said in between bites.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," the little girl's voice was tinged with mild embarrassment.

"It's okay. Guess what!" Bella said.

"What?"

"You remember how I said I was going to move?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well I found an apartment, and Johnnie is going to be my neighbor."

John nearly choked on his food as the highest pitched squeal he had ever heard erupted from the other end of the phone.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John was not surprised that his thoughts as he lay in bed trying to sleep were of his new partner. She seemed to invade his thoughts more and more as of late. He had been dying to ask why she was put in foster care earlier, but had refrained. The last thing he wanted to do was run her off by asking one too many questions.

For some unfathomable reason he had already taken a liking to his new partner. It took him months to become comfortable around all his previous partners, including even Bolander. So how the hell did he feel so comfortable with a woman he had only known barely a week? He had never gone over to a partner's house to simply have dinner before. Hell, he was even going to her niece's dance recital!

He had never gone out of his way for a person he had just met before, and now he had not only helped her find a place(across from him no less), but he was also helping her move. He frowned and rolled over in his bed. There was just something about Krissabella that made you like her.

He still refused to believe it was the dimples.

**AN:** **As I said before I'm so sorry about such a late update, my life has gotten insane as of late!**

**1)I hope you're enjoying this so far! The reviews that I've gotten are amazing, thanks so much! You guys keep me writing!**

**2)On the subject of Munch getting friendly so quickly with is new partner- I do believe that if it was someone John would click with instantly, he would be this caring so early on. A prime example is his relationship with Amy.**

**3) Throughout my story you will hear me mention Bolander and a few other detectives you may have never heard before. These are actually real characters that are from the show HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET. This is where Richard Belzer got his start as John Munch before transferring to SVU. I will also play along with the plot from that show, so Munch's history is accurate! It's an amazing show, and I really recommend watching it sometime!**

**4)Okay, I think I'm done rambling now lol. Thanks so much for reading, and as always, Please Review!**


	3. Twinkles

**TWINKLES**

**DISCLAIMER: DO NOT OWN(Sure as hell wish I did).**

John knocked on his partner's door promptly at seven on Friday Morning. He smiled softly as he heard his partner groan out, "Coming!" on the other side. Obviously, she hadn't had her coffee yet. His smile widened when she opened the door. Bella was in a pair of old blue jean shorts(which were decently short to his pleasure), and a white tank top. Her hair was still wet and wrapped up in a towel, and a toothbrush hung loosely from between her lips.

"Good morning!" he said cheerfully. Bella seemed to cringe in disgust from his chipper words.

"Morning," she said around her toothbrush. She left the door open, and without another word disappeared to the bathroom. John let himself in and shook his head when he noticed the only appliance not packed up in the kitchen was the brewing coffee pot.

"It's so early," Bella groaned as she walked back into the living room scrubbing her wet locks with the towel.

"It's seven in the morning, that's not that early," John said with an eye roll.

"Says you. I was up till two last night making sure I had everything ready!" she said with a glare. She tossed the wet towel into a cloth duffle bag and secured it with the clasp. Then, she moved to a closed box that had 'Bathroom' written on it and opened it. John watched with curiosity as she pulled out a little green bottle, poured a white cream into her hand, flipped her head down, and began rubbing the cream throughout her hair almost viciously. He winced every time he saw her fingers get snagged on a tight curl or tangle.

She flipped her head back over and rose her eyebrows at his curious gaze and asked, "What?"

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"Not really. Didn't any of your wives have curly hair?" she asked, still running her fingers through her hair.

"Not naturally, no," he answered. He moved to the two to-go-cups on the counter and began pouring them each a full cup of coffee.

"It's a pain in the ass. If I don't put anything in it, then it turns into a rat's nest and is frizzier than it usually is," she said with a sigh. John handed her a cup and smirked when her face lit up in what could only be described as glee. She took a long swallow and John vaguely wondered how she had trained herself to ignore the burn of freshly brewed hot coffee. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I know how to make it look good. I just don't have the patience in the mornings to fix it. I'm secretly a slob," she said with a smile. John snorted and sipped on his drink.

"Please, all women are vain," he said. He inwardly smirked as Krissabella's eyes lit up with anger. It really was too easy to push her buttons.

"That is untrue! If I was vain I'd fix my hair and wear a gallon of makeup each day," she said with a scowl. It deepened when John began to chuckle. Her nose was scrunched up again and her lips were drawn into a pout. Getting her all riled up was going to be one of his favorite pass times so it seemed. What could he say? He was a true masochist at heart.

"It's too early to be an ass, John!" she hissed and kicked at his knee with her sock covered foot. He quickly side stepped and laughed as she growled at him and stomped her foot childishly. Tanks hopped on top of a nearby box and gave the two detectives curious looks. "Tanks, I give you full permission to eat this man right here!" she pointed at John. Tanks stretched and walked over to John and began nuzzling his hand. The older detective gave Bella a victorious smile before scratching the cat behind the ear.

"Traitor," she hissed.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"How the _fuck_ does this thing go together!" Bella shouted as she threw the bedframe down onto the ground. John looked taken back, having never heard her throw the F bomb out before. She let out a girlish squeal of anger and covered her face with her hands. It was noon, and the two detectives had been going at it nonstop for five hours now. They had managed to get all the boxes and furniture over to the new apartment, but the hard part was putting everything back together. It didn't help that the cat was running wild all over the place exploring and knocking things over.

"I think you need a break, partner," John said gently. She said nothing, but nodded vigorously from behind her hands. John watched as she took a deep breath, uncovered her face, and quickly stalked passed him to the living room. He watched silently as she sat down at the piano(which took two hours to figure out how to get it up to the fourth floor and through her doorway). Her eyes softened as her fingers gently stroked the black and white keys. The lines of aggravation and stress melted from her features as she began to play softly; John immediately recognized the melody as "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven.

He observed his partner in awe as he watched her shoulders relax and her frown turn into a small, content smile. Her eyes became lidded and the expression of bliss overcame her face. His eyes drifted towards her hands, and he quickly decided that her delicate hands and fingers were the most fascinating to observe. Her fingers danced over the keys as gracefully as she danced ballet. Each key her fingers caressed were done lovingly. Though his partner loved to dance and was amazing at it, it was clear in that moment that music was her true passion.

All too soon, the piece was over. Krissabella sighed with a smile and slowly opened her eyes to peer sheepishly at John. After a moment, she said quietly, "I usually play when I'm frustrated, or have had a bad day."

"You play beautifully. Who taught you?" he asked.

"My dad. I used to sit underneath the piano and listen to him play for hours. Then when I was about four or five, he sat me on his lap and made me put my hands on top of his as he played. This piano was actually his. He left it to me in his will," she smiled shyly and twirled a loose curl around her finger.

"So, you're real father is?" John asked quietly. He couldn't bring himself to say 'dead'.

"Yeah, he died when I was eight. He was a colonel in the air force. His chute got jammed during an emergency plane evacuation," she said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," John said sincerely

"It's alright. I don't remember a whole lot, and Con was only three when it happened. Just part of life, I suppose," she said with a shrug.

"What about your mother?" he frowned when he saw the familiar tensing of her shoulders that signaled something she was uncomfortable with a subject. He was about to apologize for prying, but she began to answer him slowly.

"My mom isn't all there. She was always really high strung, but after dad passed away she went off the deep end. She started smacking me and Connor around and screaming all the time over little stupid shit. She never actually hit one of us though until I was twelve. I can't even remember what she was mad about, but she took a glass lamp and busted it across my face. A social worker came to school the next day and took me and Con away," she said quietly. John's eyes drifted to where her fingers ran over the thin scar above her eye and the one above her lip. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together to figure out how she got those scars.

"Wow," was all John could say. Bella gave him a rueful smile and ran her hand through her hair.

"It wasn't really that bad. I mean, my mom's crazy, but she isn't completely evil. She has her good days too. There are plenty of people that have had it way worse than me," she said with a shrug.

"So, your mom's still alive?" he asked hesitantly; he was unsure if he was making her uncomfortable.

"I don't actually know for sure," she started slowly, "The last time I saw her she said she had leukemia. The doctors told her she had nine months to live, and I haven't seen her for a full year now, so," she trailed off quietly and bit her lip in thought. "I didn't even tell her I loved her when she left." She frowned and stared down at her lap. John could relate. The last words he ever said to his father were 'I hate your guts'; his father killed himself later that night. He knew exactly what that form of regret and guilt felt like.

Hesitating for only a moment, John reached across the bench and placed his hand over her petite one and threaded his fingers through hers. She looked up at him sharply, suddenly jolted out of her brooding thoughts. John gave her a sheepish smile and said quietly, "I'm sure she knew you loved her. Besides, she may still be around, right?"

"Maybe. I don't really know exactly where she's at. The last I heard she was headed towards Pennsylvania. It's probably better this way, though. It really upsets Connor when she visits or calls, and I probably wouldn't even know what to say if I ever had the opportunity to see her again," she breathed heavily and rubbed her free hand over her face. They sat there for a few moments in compatible silence, hands still lightly intertwined.

"Anyways," she said in a happier tone, "I'm getting pretty hungry. What do you say we go grab Leah and get some lunch?"

"Sounds good to me," John said with an uncaring shrug. She gave him a genuine smile and squeezed his hand lightly before letting go and standing up. John followed suit and carefully followed his partner through the maze of boxes and out the front door.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Johnnie!" Adaleah squealed as she ran out the front door and tackled the tall man's legs. John bent over and ruffled her hair.

"Hey there, kid," he said with a slight chuckle.

"Don't I get a hug, too?" Bella said with a pout. Leah had never picked anyone over her before, and she wasn't ashamed to admit she was a little bit jealous of her partner. Adaleah gave her aunt a sheepish look before throwing up her arms in a 'pick me up' motion. Bella obliged her and swung her up into her arms. "Much better," Bella said when the little girl wrapped her arms around her neck and squeezed tightly.

"Adaleah, do not run outside like that! You don't have any shoes on, and your hair isn't even brushed!" Diane screeched from the doorway. Bella halted an eye roll and carried her niece to the door.

"Is her stuff ready?" Krissabella deadpanned. Diane sneered.

"Really, Krissabella! You could at least act like you have a few manners and say hello!" the woman hissed. Bella lost her restraint and rolled her eyes heavenward.

"Why bother pretending? Connor isn't here to referee. So, like I asked. Is her stuff ready?" she said with a sneer. John bit the inside of his jaw to keep from smiling as Diane's face reddened in anger.

"Adaleah, go get your things. And don't you dare come back out here without shoes or your hair brushed young lady!" Diane ordered. Adaleah grumbled an 'okay' and slid down to the sidewalk before quickly running inside. Diane turned her scowl back to her sister-in-law.

"You do know what time to be there tomorrow, correct?" she asked with her nose in the air.

"Six o'clock on the dot. I'll have her there with plenty of time to spare," Bella answered.

"Good. Are you sure it's such a good idea for her to stay at your place? Do you even have a bed set up for her?"

"If I didn't, do you really think I'd let her come over?" Bella said, aggravation beginning to seep through her tone. John smirked; that was actually a lie. It was Adaleah's new bed frame that she had cussed and tossed earlier.

"Alright, good. He isn't staying the night too, is he?" she pointed a perfectly manicured nail at John, whom raised his eyebrows. Bella's face darkened and she stood stiffly.

"No, why would he be?" she asked quietly. John sucked in a breath, feeling an impending argument forming.

"Oh, I don't know. You seem to be spending a lot of time with this new partner of yours. It's only been a week and you two seem pretty _close_," Diane said with a smirk. John's mouth dropped open an inch at her implications.

"Sorry Diane, I don't have to spread my legs in order to get close to someone, unlike you," Bella snapped quietly. John snorted and nearly laughed out right when Diane gave him a withering look.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Adaleah said, running back outside with a large duffle bag dragging behind her. Bella gritted her teeth into a something that resembled a smile and picked her up off the ground.

"Goodbye, see you tomorrow," Bella said as she turned on her heel and began stalking back to the car.

"Bye mommy!" Adaleah yelled, not even bothering to look over her aunt's shoulder at her fuming mother. John shook his head and let out a chuckle. He didn't bother telling the vile woman good bye.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"You know, I've had some pretty bad sister-in-laws in my time, but yours definitely takes the prize," he said casually over his menu. The trio had stopped at a local diner for lunch. Adaleah had insisted sitting on John's side, while Bella sat across from them.

"Tell me about it," she replied through gritted teeth. She was still silently fuming over their earlier argument. Though, she found it a tad bit funny in an ironic sort of way. She had only slept with two men her entire life, where she was quiet sure that Diane's track record was a long one. Honestly, what the hell did her brother see in her?

"Johnnie, do you like my mom?" Adaleah asked. John shifted awkwardly and looked to his partner for help. She shrugged and gave him a smirk. So much for guidance.

"Uh, do you like your mom?" John asked.

"Not really. She doesn't let me eat candy. And she yells at me and daddy all the time. Bella doesn't like her either, do you?" she asked, turning her attention to her aunt.

"It's not that I don't like her, Lee. We just don't see eye to eye is all. The waitress is coming back; do you want a grilled cheese or chicken nuggets?" Bella asked, thankful for a reason to change the subject.

"Nuggets!" she answered. The waitress came, delivered their drinks, and the detectives listed their orders. "Do you have any kids?" Adaleah asked John once the waitress left the table.

"Nope."

"Why not? Don't you like kids?"

"Yeah, I like 'em. Guess I just never got around to it," he answered almost sadly. All of his past ex-wives didn't want children, so he never really thought kids were an option for him.

"Well do you want babies?" Leah asked.

"Lee, don't be so nosey!" her aunt chastised. Though, she was a bit curious of his answer.

"I wouldn't mind having a kid," John answered with a shrug.

"Bellsie wants kids too, don't you, Bella!" the little girl asked. Krissabella nodded and sipped on her drink. "Well, then why don't you guys make a baby!" Adaleah said like it was the most obvious solution in the world. John laughed as Bella choked on her drink and began sputtering.

"It doesn't work like that!" Bella said through coughs. John chuckled at the pretty color of pink she was turning.

"Why not? Don't you like Johnnie?" Adaleah asked, thoroughly confused.

"Yes, I like Johnnie, but not like that! We're just friends. You have to be married to have a baby," she said, motioning wildly with her hands.

"Oh," Leah said dejectedly. Her brows scrunched together in complete concentration and she slowly turned to John. "Do you think Bella is pretty?" she asked seriously. It was Bella's turn to smirk as her partner looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Uh?" he said awkwardly. He glanced at Bella, who folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"Well?" she said, not even attempting to hide the amusement in her voice. John turned back to the little girl.

"She's beautiful," he said seriously. He inwardly patted himself on the back in victory when he saw his partner looking down into her drink, fighting a shy smile. Adaleah's face lit up and she clapped her hands.

"Then you can get married, and you guys can make a baby!" she said happily, still clapping her hands. Bella groaned and slammed her head down on the table, making the man across from her chuckle. She huffed and kicked him with a little more force than necessary underneath the table; the yelp that earned her was enough to make her smile.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Oh, it's so big!" Adaleah said in wonder as she took in the new apartment.

"Plenty of room to dance!" Bella agreed.

"Where's my room?" the little girl asked as she bounced on her heels. Bella swept her up in her arms and jumped over boxes to get to the guest room. John followed with an amused smile on his face.

"This is mine?" Adaleah said in awe. She hoped down and ran to open the closet door.

"Yep! And as soon as I get everything situated, we'll paint it whatever color you want!"

"Really?" Leah said with a huge smile. Bella nodded and laughed when the little girl squealed and tackled her legs. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome! But first things first, I got to get your bed put together!" Bella said with a scornful glance at the disassembled bedframe.

"Can I help?" Lee asked excitingly.

"Not with this," at Adaleah's pout she finished, "But, there is a box on my bed. It has towels in it. Think you can get them out and fold them for me?" The girl's face lit up with the proposition of something to do, and she nodded vigorously.

"Yeah!" she said before running past John and across the hall to the master bedroom. Krissabella shook her head fondly and gave a sheepish look in John's direction.

"Say partner, you wouldn't consider helping me put this thing together, would you?" she asked as she twirled a curl around her finger. John fought a smile and rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance.

"If I must," he huffed.

"Have I ever told you you're my favorite partner?" she said in a sickly sweet voice. John smirked at her mockery and began to lay the frame in the correct positions.

"No, I don't believe you've mentioned it," he said, playing along. She laughed quietly and grabbed the screws and screw driver. He slid the planks together and she placed the screws accordingly and began to twist them in.

"Well you are," she said in amusement. She finished securing the screw and moved to the opposite side, bending over to adjust the planks. John allowed himself one selfish moment to admire how high her shorts rose before joining her.

"Does that mean you'll bake me cookies?" John asked innocently. Bella laughed and tossed her hair over to one side.

"Adaleah and I had planned on making a batch before bed. I guess I could make a few extra for you too," she said with a smirk.

"You're too kind," John mumbled. He narrowed his eyes at her playful smirk and said, "You know, I really don't understand how you couldn't figure out how to put this together earlier. I'm pretty sure a five year old could have done this." He dodged as she stood up and moved to poke him in the ribs with the screw driver.

"Shut up," she said defensively. She leant over to screw in the last screw. "Okay, there we go. Now what?"

"Put the bolts on. You do know how to use a wrench don't you? I'm sure we could get Adaleah in here to teach you," he teased. He laughed as she moved to push him. He grabbed her wrists and held her arms above her head.

"Asshole!" she hissed, though a smile was tugging at her lips.

"Am not!"

"Well stop acting like one then."

"You're the one getting violent," he said with a look over his glasses. She gave him a scowl and twisted her wrists free and snatched the wrench from his hand and moved to start placing the bolts on.

"You're a spunky little thing," John said with a chuckle. She glared at him, her eyes lighting up in amusement.

"I am not _spunky_!" she said the word as if she was disgusted. John smiled when he saw her nose crinkle and a soft pout plant itself on her lips. She finished the bolts rather quickly and motioned to the box springs and mattress propped up against the wall. John obliged and helped her move the two objects down. She gave a sigh when everything fit perfectly into place.

"Thank the lord that's over with," she mumbled. John chuckled and pointed at the bare bed.

"Did you happen to buy any sheets while you were out?" he asked.

"Yeah, they're in my room," she said. The detectives stalked across the hall, and immediately halted in the doorway of Bella's bedroom. On the bed were nine perfectly folded towels, however, Adaleah had dumped out every single box of clothing and was sitting in the middle of the room humming to herself and quietly folding. While this was highly amusing, John's attention was on the pile of clothes to the right of the bed that consisted of nothing but lacy underwear, bras, and what looked like a lace corset.

"Uh, what you doing there, Lee?" Bella asked. Adaleah turned around in surprise, and her face immediately lit up in childish pride.

"I'm folding all of your clothes!" she said happily.

"I see that. Thank you," Bella said with a sigh. "There's something else I need you to do for me though. It's a pretty big job though, think you can do it?" Adaleah's chest puffed out in the face of a challenge and she nodded seriously. "I need you to take your new sheets and comforter and put it on your new bed, think you can handle that?" Adaleah nodded and quickly ran out of the room. Bella looked around at the chaotic mess on her floor and sighed.

"I didn't take you for a lace kind of girl," John said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bella gave him a questioning look before noticing the pile of her undergarments. Her face turned a scarlet hue and she let out a feminine squeak.

"Oh, for fuck sake!" she groaned in aggravation.

"You really have a filthy mouth, woman!" John scolded. She scowled at him and pushed past him to shove her unmentionables into a box. John caught sight of a black translucent night gown before she snapped the flaps down.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The two detectives all but fell on the couch with a collective tired groan. Adaleah joined them and laid across their laps. They had managed to get most of everything unpacked and put away. Only a few boxes of dishes and boxes of knick-knacks were left.

"I think my back is broken," Bella said as she sat up straight and tried to pop her spine. John nodded in agreement.

"Bellsie, I'm hungry. Can we make cookies now?" Adaleah asked.

"Sweetie it's going on eleven o'clock," Bella started.

"But you promised!" the little girl whined. It was past her bed time and she was starting to get fussy. Bella sighed and ran a tired hand over her face.

"Oh, all right, but in the meantime you have to take a bath," Bella sighed. Adaleah clapped her hands happily and darted to the bathroom. She groaned as she scooted to the end of her seat in a vain attempt to get up. John smirked and laid a hand on her lower back before giving her a shove. She got to her feet and rubbed at her back while slowly making her way to the bathroom.

She returned five minutes later, slightly wet and an annoyed expression. "I really think she has it out for me sometimes, "she muttered at John's amused look. She paused in front of him and placed a hand on her hip. "If I'm cooking you degenerates some cookies, you're helping," she grabbed his hands and pulled him up from the couch, smirking at his moan of protest. He pulled on her arms and pushed himself further back in the couch while dragging her closer.

"I don't know how to bake, sorry," he said with a smirk. Krissabella scowled and pulled at his hands once more.

"Then I'm teaching you!" she smiled when John huffed and finally stood up.

"I didn't think it was possible, but you're even bossier than my ex-wives," he grumbled with a smile playing on his lips. Bella giggled and gave his hands a slight squeeze before turning on her tip toes to walk into the kitchen. To his utter amusement, she was continued walking on her tip toes. He had caught her doing that every so often, even at work.

"Okay, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, peanut butter, or sugar?" she asked.

"Sugar, Miss Twinkle Toes," he answered. Bella smiled sheepishly and immediately sat her heels back down on the ground. He watched as she turned swiftly throughout her new kitchen, looking for the ingredients and utensils. She measured out various powders before handing the bowl over to her partner. "Mix," she demanded. John gave her a mock solute and did as he was told.

"I know I've already said it, but thanks for helping me out so much," she said as she cracked an egg into a bowl.

"Don't mention it. Is this good enough?" he held out the bowl to let her inspect it. She nodded and motioned for him to add it in with the wet ingredients. "So tell me, how did such a good guy like Connor end up with an evil woman like Diane?" he asked. Bella's nose crinkled and she sneered at the name.

"She got him drunk and spread her legs. That's how," she hissed. John's eyebrows rose at her venom. She began scooping out cookies onto the greased sheet pan. "She was just an eighteen year old waitress at a bar. Connor was twenty-two and was fresh out of college with a bachelor's degree. Basically, she was a money grubbing whore that saw potential in Connor. They went to a party, and after just one week of knowing each other, she got him drunk and ended up getting pregnant with Adaleah. They got married a month later."

"Does he actually love her?" John asked. Bella shrugged.

"I have no idea. I've never seen them act romantically. I'm sure the only thing Diane is in love with is Connor's money. Honestly, I don't even think she gives two shits about Adaleah. If it was up to me, I'd dig a shallow grave and off the bitch," she said coldly. John was taken aback by her barely pent up rage.

"You really hate her, don't you?" he opened the oven door and took the pan from her hands to stick it in.

"There isn't a word strong enough to describe how I feel about her," she said seriously. "I tolerate her because she's Adaleah's mother. That's it,"

"I'm starting to think you have anger issues," he teased. She smiled despite and pushed herself away from the counter with her elbows.

"You may be right. I'm gonna go get Leah out of the tub, watch the cookies," she said. John nodded and watched her walk away, his eyes drifting down her legs as she went. He slid out a kitchen chair and plopped down heavily. Today was exhausting, and not just in a physical nature; he was starting to feel drained in the mental department as well. This friendship he had quickly developed with his partner was new territory for him. He felt completely comfortable with Krissabella, which was odd all in itself. John was not an open man, by any terms. He never asked his old partners their background information unless it was for the sake of small talk. However, with Krissabella, he found himself genuinely interested.

Yes, he was a caring man, but not to the extent of doing such large favors for people he had just met. And here he was, helping a woman he had barely known a week move, bake cookies, and going to a little girl's ballet recital. It made no sense to him why he felt compelled to do any of this. It aggravated him that this peculiar woman was invading his walls, when in reality, she wasn't even trying.

His internal fuming was cut short when his partner and Adaleah entered the room. Leah ran to John, clad in a long pink Barbie nightgown, and crawled onto his lap.

"Adaleah, don't be rude. John isn't a chair!" Bella scolded.

"Oh, sorry," Adaleah pouted and slowly slid forwards, only to be stopped by John.

"It's alright," he said with a smile. Adaleah grinned up at him and scooted back onto his lap.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John laid in his bed, one arm behind his head and a cookie in his hand. It was well past midnight, but suddenly the detective didn't feel sleepy in the least bit. After eating a few cookies at Bella's, Adaleah had insisted Bella play at least one piece on the piano. After ten minutes of solid whining and prodding, Bella finally relented.

The little girl sat on his lap while Bella played quietly. It didn't take long for Leah to pass out, which had astounded him. He couldn't remember the last time he had a child fall asleep in his arms, and truth be told, he enjoyed every second of it. Even more so, he enjoyed Bella's playing.

The emotions that passed over her face combined with the way she swayed with every note was mesmerizing. Her mouth was always twisted into a soft smile and she had gentleness about her that was alluring. He could spend hours just watching her and be content.

He sighed and placed the plate of remaining cookies on his nightstand. This was getting to be a bit too much. John was a solitary man, and the fact that he was pushing himself out of his comfort zone was scaring the piss out of him. With an aggravated groan, John rolled over and fell into a fitted sleep.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Stop rubbing your eyes!" Bella snapped at her niece. She had already redone the little girl's stage make up twice. It was almost five-thirty in the afternoon and Adaleah was getting antsy to hurry up and get to the recital.

"Sorry!" Adaleah snapped back. She immediately perked up when a small knock sounded on the door. "Johnnie's here!" she said happily. She ran to the door and threw it open. "Hiya, Johnnie!" she squeaked. John smiled at her costume and patted her head.

"Hey there, kid. I like your costume," John said as he walked through the doorway. Adaleah did a quick spin and struck a pose.

"Thank you! I did my hair all by myself!" she motioned to the perfect ballerina bun on her head, and frowned when she heard her aunt scoff from inside her bedroom.

"You little liar!" she said when she walked into the living room. John felt his eyes widened a fraction; his partner certainly knew how to clean up well! Her hair's usual fizziness was gone without a trace, as smooth, sleek curls fell in ringlets down to the middle of her back. Her dress was a deep emerald color that fell to the floor and had a slit on the left leg that rose to the middle of her thigh. It had a modest neckline, and was tailored to accentuate her soft curves.

"Okay, well Bella helped a little," Adaleah mumbled with an eye roll. Bella shook her head and walked over to pick up her clutch off of the piano; her toned, bare leg and brown suede pumps immediately caught his eye.

"Okay, is everyone ready to go?" she asked. Adaleah nodded and skipped to the door.

"Yeah," John said after he cleared his throat. She gave him a crooked smile and gave him a once over.

"Nice suit you got there, partner," her smile turned coy. John raised an eyebrow; was she _flirting_?

"Nice dress," he fired back.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Lauren!" Adaleah shouted as she hopped out of the car. She ran down the parking lot to tackle one of her friends.

"Lee, we're going inside, stay with Lauren and get backstage, okay?" Krissabella yelled. The little girl waved her off and linked hands with her friend.

"It still surprises me that such a loud voice comes from such a petite girl," an elderly woman said from behind the two detectives. Bella swiveled around and laughed.

"Yes, well, you know how big of a mouth I have. How you doing, Betty?" Bella asked as she embraced the frail looking woman.

"I'm doing just fine," she paused and looked at John, "Oh, is this your date? He's awfully handsome, Krissabella!" Betty swooned. Bella laughed awkwardly and shook her head.

"This is John, my new partner," she introduced. John held out his hand, "And this is Betty. She was my dance instructor, and now she's Adaleah's."

"Nice to meet you," John said with a pleasant smile. The older woman returned the smile and shook his hand with a surprising grip.

"It's a pleasure. I assume you've seen Krissabella dance? She's always been my star pupil, ya know," Betty said with a proud smile. Bella's cheeks tinged pink as she laughed.

"I've seen her warm up, but I've never seen her dance," John replied with a sly glance at Bella.

"You must make her dance for you sometime! She's magnificent," Betty rubbed on Bella's arm affectionately. "Oh dear, there's Luka. Please excuse me dears," she said apologetically. She moved with grace for a woman of her age as she walked up to a father with his daughter.

"Crazy old bat," John heard Bella mumble under her breath. He smiled and held out his arm.

"Shall we?" he asked. Bella smirked at his chivalry and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.

"So, are you gonna dance for me sometime?" John teased. She scowled at him, but the twitching of her lips gave her amusement away.

"Absolutely not," she said with a snort. John pouted.

"Oh, come on, Twinkles," he laughed when she moved to swat at him.

"Do _not _call me Twinkles!" she hissed. He chuckled and allowed himself to be guided through the hepatic crowd of dancers and family members.

"I'll stop calling you Twinkles, if you dance for me," he said with a look over his glasses. Bella scowled and pinched his arm.

"I'm _not_ going to dance for you. However, you _are _going to stop calling me Twinkles, or I'm going to shoot you," she growled.

"I really think we should get you into anger management classes," John sighed. Bella huffed and stomped a little harder in her high heels. Her nose crinkled in annoyance and John couldn't help but to smile.

"Were you this mean to your last partner?" she asked with a childish pout. He laughed and dodged a group of teenagers in tutus. She tugged on his arm and led him through an archway into a big theater that was slowly starting to fill up. She made a small noise of recognition when she found a head of familiar shockingly red hair. She led him down the aisle to the third row and released his arm as she made her way down to her brother.

"Hello brudder," she said happily. Connor smiled, stood up, and embraced his sister.

"Wow, you look good for a change!" he teased. Bella pulled back and put her hands on her hips.

"What do you mean, for a change?" she said darkly. Connor threw up his hands dramatically and smiled.

"Kidding. Hey there, John. Thanks for coming, I know it sucks having to spend your day off with this evil hag," he greeted the older detective and leaned around Bella to extend his hand. Bella huffed and stomped her foot.

"We all have to make sacrifices," John said gravely. Bella turned around swiftly becoming face to face(thanks to the added height of her heels) with John, and gave him the darkest scowl she could muster.

"I hate you both," she turned again to glare at her brother. The two men shared victorious smirks when the hassled women crossed her arms and sat down in her seat with a huff. Laughing, the two men took their seats on either side of her.

"Cheer up, Twinkles," John said as he leaned towards her.

"Call me Tinkles one more time, I dare you," she said as she reached up to pinch the underside of his arm. John yelped, drawing the attention of the people surrounding them.

"Alright children, no fighting," Connor said from the other side of them. Bella snorted and rolled her eyes at him.

Upon noticing the empty seat beside him she asked, "Where's Diane?"

"I don't know. She left to go take care of something at the office, but that was over two hours ago," Connor said with a frown.

"The show starts in twenty minutes!" Bella said in a disapproving tone.

"Yeah, I know. She'll be here," her brother replied. He didn't sound convincing.

"She better be," the detective growled under her breath. Five minutes past, then ten, until finally the lights began to go down in the theatre. Diane was still nowhere to be found when the beginning song began to play and the first line of dancers took the stage.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John stood up and joined the crowd in applause. He had expected to be bored for the entire hour and forty-five minutes, but he was pleasantly surprised to find out that ballet was entertaining. It was amazing to him how the dancers could twist and balance their bodies so accurately and make it look so graceful.

He was surprised at how well Adaleah could dance. While she wasn't able to stand on her tiptoes like the older dancers, she still moved with fluent grace that was not normally found in a five year old. The look on Bella's face as she watched her niece dance was nothing short of pride. She practically glowed, and he was mildly surprised her cheeks hadn't cracked with the force of her smile.

"Come on!" Bella said as she turned to him. She gave him a small shove to get him moving down the aisle. The trio wove their way quickly through the crowd and into the main entrance way. Seconds later Adaleah's familiar face came running through the crowd. She squealed and jumped into Bella's awaiting arms.

"Did I do good?" she asked eagerly as she threw her arms tightly around Bella's neck. Her cheeks and nose were pink from excitement.

"You were perfect! I'm so proud!" Krissabella beamed and kissed her on the temple. Adaleah giggled at the praise and then motioned over to John. John smiled awkwardly as he hesitantly took the little girl in his arms. She smiled at him expectantly.

John cleared his throat and said, "You did real good kid. You were the best dancer up there." Adaleah smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, which surprised the older man.

"Thanks, Johnnie!" she then wiggled her way down to the floor and tackled her father's legs.

"You were marvelous, princess," Connor said as he squeezed his daughter tightly.

"Thank you," she said happily. Her head whipped from side to side as she searched the surrounding crowd for her mother. John frowned when he saw the little girl's smile slowly disappear. "Where's mommy?" she asked quietly.

"She had to take care of something at work sweetie," Connor said with a fake smile.

"Didn't she want to watch me?" Adaleah asked with a shaky voice. Her lip trembled and the tell-tell sign of tears were forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Of course she did! She just got caught up with work. I'm sure she's really sad that she didn't get to come," Connor said. An unconvinced look was on Adaleah's face.

"Yeah, okay," she whispered, looking the very definition of forlorn. John glanced over at his partner, whose features were twisted somewhere in middle of sadness and cold fury.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"You okay?" John asked quietly. Krissabella had been silent all the way back to the apartment complex. He followed her into her apartment, forgoing a proper invitation.

"No," she said coldly. John settled himself down on the couch for what was sure to be a potential blow up.

"Why didn't she show up?" he asked. Bella kicked her heels off violently, sending one into the wall in front of her.

"Because she's a fucking bitch!" she growled. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and began pacing back and forth in front of the couch. "She's a damn dental assistant! I don't get what sort of fucking _emergency_ she could possibly have that lasted for four hours!" Her nose was scrunched up and every time she pivoted in the other direction, the slit in her dress opened to reveal creamy white skin.

John sat silently in awe of the fuming woman in front of him and listened as she stomped and cursed some more. "I'm sure she's having an affair with her boss. I've told Connor a million and four times that she spreads her legs for anyone and everyone, but he never listens! I don't get it, why the hell does he keep her around? She doesn't give two shits about Adaleah, obviously! Lee has been looking forward to this for a whole year now. She's worked really hard, it meant a lot to her. I just don't understand," she paused then and placed her hands on her hips. She stared off into space for a moment before she glanced at John and blushed.

"I'm sorry. I really do cuss like a sailor, don't I?" she rubbed the back of her neck and collapsed on the couch beside him. John chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"It's alright. It makes me grateful that my family lives in Baltimore," he sighed.

"Do you have a big family?" Bella asked. Her anger was draining away to curiosity.

"No. I have one brother named Bernard. He's married and has two kids, but I haven't seen them in over five years. My mom's in a retirement facility up state. I have an uncle name Andrew and a cousin named Lee, but I have no idea where they are right now," he said almost sadly.

"So, you're all alone down here?" Bella asked. John gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, just me, myself, and I," he paused for a moment and then added, "And you of course, Twinkles," he laughed and groaned when she punched him hard in the shoulder.

"I swear, John, if you call me Twinkles one more damn time," she said seriously. John picked up the cordless phone off of the side table and began dialing a number. Bella's brows furrowed in confusion. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"I'm calling a shrink to set you up anger management classes," he said seriously.

He yelped when she punched him once more.

**AN- 1)Sorry about another late update…Been super busy! This chapter is short of about 500 words as the last one; Sorry that it' slightly shorter!**

**2) As far as the closeness between the two detectives, I do not think it's rushed. John takes a quick liking to some people, such as Amy Solwey. He helps out the people he cares about(Again a prime example is Amy) and is a very comforting person! He also has a tendency to fall for people in a short amount of time(An example is Sarah). All of these examples are from SVU episodes!**

**3) I'm not sure if any of you have been to a dance academy recital, but they are dress-up type events! So no, Bella's attire was not over-dressy. (Just clearing that up lol)**

**4) Thank you guys SO MUCH for all of your wonderful reviews and encouraging words! They really mean a lot to me. As always, please continue to review and give me criticism! **


	4. Twists

**TWISTS**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ORIGINAL SVU CHARACTERS**

"God, it smells good in here," John said as he stepped into his partner's apartment. Having been partners for a little over five months, the detectives had forgone trivial things such as knocking or waiting for an invitation to enter each other's homes. Most of their evenings were either spent in compatible silence as they finished up paperwork, cooking dinner, or occasionally, John could talk her into playing the piano for him while he quietly observed her.

"Think so? It's something I've never made before," she said with a smile.

"What is it?" he asked. He followed the intoxicating smell over to a broiling stock pot. He lifted the lid and inhaled deeply.

"Lamb testicles," she said happily. John dropped the lid back down with a clang and back peddled three steps away from it as if it had burnt him.

"What!" he cried incredulously. Bella clutched her sides in laughter and moved to set the lid on the pot correctly.

"I'm kidding! It's gumbo, you moron," she said, laughter still ringing in her voice. John sighed over dramatically and placed a hand over his heart.

"I really thought you were going to make me eat Lamb balls," he said gravely. Bella snorted and crinkled her nose.

"Ew, no. I'm mean, but I'm not that mean," she said with a smile. She moved to the spice rack and carefully selected a few ingredients. John crowded behind her and looked over her shoulder as she took off the lid and slowly sprinkled various spices into the pot.

"What exactly is gumbo?" John asked curiously. Bella moved to put the lid on, but John stopped her hand and shoved his face down towards the pot to sniff around some more. Bella smiled and shook her head fondly. Though her partner looked like he hadn't eaten in months, he was actually quiet the pig and could out eat almost anyone at work.

"It can be made a bunch of different ways. This one has smoked sausage, chicken, okra, red peppers, rice, onions, and garlic in it," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"When's it going to be done?" he asked in what was almost childish excitement. Bella bit her cheek to keep from laughing.

"About twenty minutes. I made your favorite dessert to go along with it," she said. John's eyes lit up and he quickly moved to open the fridge. He made a sound of pure happiness when he found the large bowl filled to the brim with banana pudding and vanilla wafers. Checking to make sure she wasn't looking, he slowly brought his finger to the bowl to steal a bite, only to be snapped backwards by the shirt collar.

"Don't you even think about it!" Bella said with her hands on her hips. John huffed and closed the door shut. In five months not _once_ had he been able to sneak a bite of anything. He swore the damn woman had eyes in the back of her head.

"Honestly, John, you're worse than Adaleah is when it comes to putting your fingers in food!" she hissed. The twitching of her lips let him know she wasn't truly annoyed.

"My fingers are clean, though!" he lied. Bella scoffed and sat down at the kitchen table. John followed her example and took a seat opposite of her. They were quiet for a moment before Bella snorted. John looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Guess who asked me out on a date today," she said with a smirk. John immediately frowned. The thought of Krissabella on a date struck him the wrong way, though he couldn't fathom why.

"Who?" he asked.

"You know that Rookie that comes in to take our files to 1PP?"

"Phillip? The kid with the glasses?" John asked, a smile forming on his face.

"Uh-huh. He cornered me at the drink machines. He was really cute about it. He said I smelled nice," she finished with a slight giggle. John put a hand to his forehead and silently pitied the poor boy.

"Isn't he like twenty-three?" he asked. Bella shrugged and bent sideways to pick up Tank and put him in her lap. The feline purred happily as his master scratched behind his ears.

"Something like that. If only I was ten years younger," she sighed sadly. John rolled his eyes.

"You act like you're old or something," he said stiffly. Bella smiled sheepishly, forgetting her partner was a good sixteen years older than her.

"No, I'm not old; I'm just too old to be dating a twenty year old. I like older men anyway," she said with a flip of her hand.

"Oh?" John said with a playful smile. Bella rolled her eyes and stroked her cat.

"My ex-fiancé was thirteen years older than me," she said for an example. John raised his eyebrows in shock.

"Really?" he asked skeptically. Bella nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, and my first real boyfriend was forty, and I was just sixteen," she giggled when John's mouth dropped.

"He was over half your age!" he exclaimed.

"I know. I guess that's why I sometimes have mixed feelings about the statutory cases we get. Granted, most of the older men and women we arrest are only after sex, however, there really are genuinely good people out there that just happen to fall in love with a younger guy or girl," she said shyly. She quickly looked down and smiled softly at Tanks.

"And you're sure he actually loved you?" John asked skeptically. In all his years as a cop, he hated almost any person accused of statutory. If you were of legal age, you shouldn't be having sex with a child.

"Positive. He didn't even want to have sex until my eighteenth birthday," she said with a small laugh.

"I take it you convinced him otherwise?" John said with a smirk and a look over his glasses.

"You could say that," she smiled coyly and winked. John chuckled and shook his head as she dropped Tanks to the floor and stood to go stir the pot. John followed her over to the stove and leaned up against the counter.

"So, what happened?" he asked. At her confused look he amended, "With the guy, I mean." Immediately, he wished he could take back the question. Her lips twisted into a frown and she cast her eyes downward into the pot.

"He died a couple of days before my eighteenth birthday. He was taking me shopping for a dress to wear for my birthday party when he just all of a sudden collapsed on the side walk. It was a brain aneurism," she said sadly.

"Oh wow. I'm sorry," he said sincerely. Bella gave him a sad little smile.

"Yeah, me too," it was silent for a moment before she sighed and smiled genuinely.

"Wanna be the taste tester?" she held up a spoon and motioned to the pot. She laughed as he snatched the spoon greedily from her hand and jumped towards the stove.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"You're going to take the rest of that banana pudding home, right?" Bella asked as she handed a soapy dish over to be rinsed. John took the dish and gave her a look.

"You seriously have to ask?" he said. Bella laughed and shook her head.

"No, you're right. Stupid question."

"You know," John started out nonchalantly, "If you don't think you're going to eat all that gumbo, I could always take some of that off your hands too."

Bella rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'll send some gumbo home with you too. Pig," She laughed when he snorted like a pig. "I guess it's a good thing you like my food. Somebody needs to put a little weight on your bony ass."

"As long as you don't feed me so much that my ass gets as big as yours," he said with a grin. He jumped backwards when she swung a soapy pot at him.

"Asshole!" she hissed. She turned back around and resumed scrubbing the dirty stock pot. "You can make fun of my bubble butt all you want," she said in a haughty tone, "But I know your eyes seem to always be glued to it every time I turn around."

John said nothing, but smirked. He could deny it, but it wouldn't do any good. She had caught him gawking on more than one occasion. "I didn't say it wasn't nice, I just don't think I could pull a bubble butt off," he teased. Bella smiled at the backhanded compliment and fought a blush.

They had been testing the waters these past months, each getting bolder as weeks progressed. The sudden closeness they found in their friendship had shocked them both. Both were hesitant and weary as they seemed to tear each other's walls down and push boundaries without any real effort. Conversation and banter came easily between them, and somewhere along the line, they developed a more flirtatious atmosphere.

Bella handed the dish towel to John after she dried her hands and said, "Guess what you get to do now!" the coy smile on her face made John suspicious. She stepped closer and patted a hand on his chest. "Paperwork!"

John groaned at her evil chuckles and threw the dishtowel down on the counter. He followed his skipping partner into the living room and begged, "You know, technically, the reports aren't due until tomorrow afternoon, so I could do them tomor-"

"John Munch!" Krissabella snapped and turned swiftly around on her heels. John skidded to a stop just inches before colliding with her. Her hands went to her hips and she stepped closer, making a nervous John take a step back. He should know better than to test her wrath by now, considering all the bruises he had on his body when he pushed her buttons to hard.

"If you think I'm going to help you do all that paperwork in a two hour time-span , while having the Captain bitch at us again, then you thought wrong!" she hissed. She had him backed all the way into the kitchen.

"Alright, I'll do it now! Down, woman!" he said as he threw his arms in the air. Her tough girl demeanor melted and she gave him a crooked smile.

"Good boy!" she teased and pinched his cheek affectionately. John rolled his eyes, but smiled softly when she turned around. His partner really was a kid at heart. He'd even walked in on her playing with some Barbie dolls Adaleah had accidently left.

He collapsed on the coach, folders clenched in his hands with mild hatred. He despised paperwork. John opened the first file and set to work, meanwhile looking up every so often to observe his partner. The way she tied the ribbons on her ballet shoes was melodic, almost as if it was as natural as breathing to her. She easily rose to her toes and poised one foot on the bar. He heard her suck in a breath and gracefully bend all the way back, lacing her hands around the back of her grounded ankle. After watching her go into that position more times than he could count, it still astounded him every time. Their eyes met briefly before John quickly looked down and pretended to scribble something down.

"You're supposed to be working, not watching me!" Bella said with a 'tsk' of her tongue. John smirked and rolled his eyes. She laughed quietly and rose back upright and brought her foot off the bar. John snapped his eyes back to his partner as she held onto the bar and went down into an almost full split and held herself up with her legs. The black leggings she had on clung to her leg muscles, which John appreciated. She slowly drew her feet inwards and pulled herself onto her tiptoes.

She hummed for a moment to herself, and then moved the ballet bar against the wall. John smiled as she moved to one side of the room, rose to her toes, and began to twirl to the other side of the room on one foot. Watching her dance was like watching her play the piano; it was something he couldn't get enough of.

"If you don't stop watching me, I'm going to kick you out!" Bella said with a scowl. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and then crossed her arms.

"But, if you kick me out, how will you make sure that I do my paperwork?" he said with a shit-eating grin. Bella huffed and gave him a glare before returning to her dancing.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"John?" Bella asked from the floor. She had been stretching and dancing for almost two hours now, and she had finally tired herself out. To John's male sense of pleasure, she was currently laid sprawled out on the floor, her hair sticking to her neck from sweat. Her chest rose rapidly as she fought to catch her breath.

"Hm?" he hummed as he pretended to do more paperwork. He had only managed to get two out of the five files done. His eyes had a mind of their own and always drifted away from the paperwork to the younger woman in front of him.

"Are you almost done? It's going on eleven o'clock, and I still have to shower and get ready for bed," she said a little less winded.

"That depends on what you consider 'almost done'," he said sheepishly. Her head snapped around to look at him.

"Did you even get a single one done?" she growled. She rolled over on her side and fixed him with a dark glare.

"Two!" he said defensively. She moaned and rolled onto her stomach, her head hitting the floor with a thud.

"I'm going to beat the shit out of you," came her muffled voice. At John's laughter, she turned her mismatched eyes to him and scowled. "I'm serious!" she snapped. With a tired groan she dragged herself off the floor and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

John sat the files to the side and gave her a smart ass smile, to which she huffed at and childishly stomped her foot. She gasped suddenly and clutched her side. John immediately frowned and pulled her towards him by her hips. "Is it your side again?" he asked

She said nothing, but gritted her teeth and nodded. Over the past couple of weeks, he had noticed his partner had certain days where she had very little energy. Then, her side started getting an abrupt sharp pain. He was worried, but couldn't get the stubborn woman to go see a doctor.

The pain seemed to have left as quickly as it came. John looked up at her from his perch on the couch, hands still lightly planted on her waist. She opened her squinted eyes, took a shaky breath, and smiled sheepishly at his stern look.

"Bella, you need to get checked out," he said sternly. She waved her hand dismissively and tried to take a step back, only to be stopped by the tightening of his hands on her hips. "I'm serious!" he snapped.

"It's probably just a pulled muscle or something. I shouldn't have danced for so long tonight," she said, suddenly looking very tired. John guided her hips to the side and tugged lightly until she was seated beside him. She leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes.

"A pulled muscle would have healed by now, and it doesn't cause fatigue," he said gently. "Have you been taking your vitamins?"

Krissabella groaned in pretend aggravation and said, "Yes, father. And I've been drinking my orange juice and eating plenty of fruit, just like you said," she said with an eye roll. John frowned at her. He really wished she would take this more seriously.

Noticing his troubled expression she gave him a reassuring smile and softly placed a hand on his knee. "Really, John, I'm okay," she said quietly.

He gave her a disbelieving look, and placed his hand on top of hers. After a moment, he laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Promise me, if it gets any worse, you'll go see a doctor?"

"Okay, okay. If it gets worse, I'll go," she said with a sigh. John smiled genuinely, and Bella felt herself smile back.

"Promise?" John said, only half teasing. Bella laughed tiredly and nodded.

"Promise," Bella agreed. John gave her hand another squeeze before standing up and helping his partner onto her feet.

"Good, because if I find out it's getting worse, and you still don't go, I'm going to drag you to the hospital kicking and screaming," he said seriously. Bella rolled her eyes and gave him a mock salute.

"Yes sir," she said with a mild pout. John nodded in satisfaction and pointed back towards the bathroom.

"Good girl, now go get ready for bed," he ordered, trying not to smile at her scowl.

"You're bossy, John," she said as she turned and started to make her way to the bathroom. "Don't forget to take your left overs, pig!" she tossed over her shoulder. She bit back a laugh when she noticed his head was already in the fridge. Apparently, he didn't need reminding when it came to food.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"I'm really proud of you!" Bella cooed as she placed a steaming cup of tea beside her partner. John had stayed up until well after two in the morning to finish the last three reports he hadn't finished while at Bella's the previous night. Currently, his head was on his desk, and he was fighting off the urge to sleep.

"That means so much," John said sarcastically. Bella giggled and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"No, I mean it. I really thought you were going to force me to do your paperwork again. Besides, maybe staying up until two in the morning will teach you to stop waiting until the last minute!" she said as she lightly messaged the knots out of his shoulders. John groaned appreciatively and raised his head up from the desk, only to wince at the harsh florescent lights. He scowled at the sharp pain in his temples; he was sure it was a sign of an impending headache.

"Probably not," he said with a smirk. He grunted when she found a particularly tender spot. She dug her fingers into the knot and rubbed gently until he relaxed.

"You're impossible," she sighed. She patted his shoulders and moved around to sit at her own desk. John frowned at the loss of contact. He was really enjoying that rub down. He rotated his shoulders experimentally and was pleased to note a great deal of tension was gone.

"Stupid son of a bitch," Elliot growled as he passed the two detectives' desks. Olivia followed suit behind him with a look of pure hatred that mirrored Elliot's. Bella raised her eyebrows at John, whom shrugged.

"Something wrong?" Krissabella asked. Elliot swiveled around and scowled.

"Yeah, we've been grilling this guy for eight hours now, and he just won't pop," he said as he frustratingly scratched at his arm. Liv rubbed her burning eyes.

"We still have to get all our reports done. Plus I've got court in an hour," Liv sighed as she looked at her watch. She had only gotten about half an hour of sleep in the crib last night. Her reserves were running on empty.

"John actually did his reports on time, and we don't have anything else lined up for today. We can take over the case, if you want," Bella said. The relief on Elliot and Liv's faces was immediately evident.

"Thanks guys, we owe you one," Elliot said with a tired smile. Liv and Elliot shoved their files and reports to their coworkers and all but collapsed into their office chairs to begin all their paperwork.

John and Bella shared an amused look before going over the case. Seven women have reported rapes, all with the same M.O. Landon Schick, a young man of about twenty-two, would approach the victims and distract them. Meanwhile, his partner would drive next to the curb in a black windowless van. The two men then abducted the women, took turns raping them, and then left them tied down in Central Park. One of the victims managed to scratch both of her rapists; the skin cells from under her nails came back a match to Landon and a man that wasn't in the system. The only thing Liv and El found connecting the victims were their appearances. All seven victims had the same small stature and black hair. They were each respected business women, and dressed as such.

"What you think?" John asked when he had finished reading. Bella frowned and ran her index finger over her lips.

Ignoring her partner's question, she turned to Liv and asked, "How did he act when you guys were in there?"

"He's intimidated by men. Elliot would question him, and he'd sit there cowering in his chair. As soon as El left the room, he immediately changed. He started answering me, but he was snide. I asked him why he raped our vics, and you know what the bastard said?" Liv said shrilly. Elliot chuckled, but quickly played if off as a cough when Liv shot him a glare. "He said I wouldn't understand because I was too _fat_!" she said with a huff. Bella's lips formed a surprised 'O'.

"He sounds like a real charmer," John commented with a smile. He laughed when Liv tossed a paper wad at him.

"Wait, maybe that's it," Bella said, lost in thought.

When she remained silent, John cleared his throat and coaxed, "Mind sharing your epiphany with the rest of us?"

"Maybe Liv just isn't his type," she said.

"Because I'm fat?" Liv sneered with a pout. Bella rolled her eyes at her.

"You're not fat, Olivia. Think about it though. You're curvaceous and 5'8". His victims were very petite, and only about 5'2" to 5'4" without heels. This guy has insecurity issues. That's why he wouldn't talk to Elliot. He likes littler women, because it makes him feel more masculine," Bella explained. Elliot and Liv looked at each other before shrugging.

"Makes since," Elliot commented.

"So what do you suggest?" John asked, though he had an idea of what she was planning.

"Let me talk to him. I fit his preference," she said. John nodded in agreement and led the way.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Mr. Schick?" Krissabella said in a pleasant voice when she entered the interrogation room. The man in custody turned his attention from the loose thread in his shirt to the detective, his face immediately portraying his interest.

"Now you're a woman! Not like that fat cow that was in here earlier," he said with a smirk. He tilted his chair on its back legs and threw his hands behind his head.

"I wouldn't say that Detective Benson is fat. She has a wonderful figure, I'd kill for it," Bella said honestly as she took a seat.

The young man scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. "She's disgusting. You on the other hand, are beautiful. Especially those eyes," he leaned forward then, inspecting her unique eyes closely.

"Who's your partner?" Bella asked, getting straight to the point. Landon pouted playfully and wiggled his finger at her.

"You don't need to know that idiot's name. He just drove the van for me. I did all the work," he said.

"Then why does DNA show two separate attackers?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe your tests are wrong," he said smugly. He leaned forwards a bit more to peek down her button up shirt. Bella scooted back in her chair and fought the urge to stand up and punch the pervert in the mouth.

"See, that's where you're wrong. DNA doesn't lie," she stood up, smoothing down her tight pencil skirt, "You want to know what I think?" she said, suddenly sounding sultry. John's eyebrows rose from behind the two way mirror.

"What do you think?" Landon played along. His eyes trailed down her toned legs and his breathing quickened when Bella hopped up on the desk beside him. She placed her hands behind her and cocked her head to the side.

"I think you're afraid," she said coyly. She traced a finger over her knee and smiled when his eyes immediately followed the movement.

"I ain't afraid," he said seriously, still watching her finger run over her knee.

"You sure looked afraid when Detective Stabler was in here earlier. I think you're scared of men, and that's why you won't give up your partner. You're afraid of what he'll do." She moved her hand up to her thigh.

"No, I'm not," he countered, somewhat distracted.

"Then why are you protecting him? You're the leader in the relationship, right? So why don't you give up your bitch, and I'll ask the ADA if she can give you a deal?" Bella crooned. She tossed her long hair over her shoulder with a flip of her hand.

"No, I can't do that," Landon said, suddenly serious. There was a scared look in his eyes.

Bella leaned forward with a fake look of sincerity and gently asked, "Why not, Landon? Don't you want me to help you?"

"I," he paused and ran a hand through his hair, "If I tell you who it is, will you give him the deal instead?" he asked. Bella couldn't hide the shock on her face at his question.

"Why?" she asked incredulously.

"Because, it ain't his fault. I told him to do it. He don't know no better."

"I can't help anyone, unless you tell me what's going on."

He scowled and looked up at her, "He's my little brother; he's only seventeen. He didn't want to do it, I made him. Are you going to help him, or not?"

Bella raised her eyebrows and scooted off the table, her seductive attitude forgotten. "That depends. Give me his name."

"Richard. Richard Schick," Landon said. He looked away and fisted his hands. With a confused shake of her head, she exited the room.

"What the fuck just happened?" Bella asked, closing the door behind her. John shook his head and continued to stare at the man in custody behind the glass.

"I don't know. One minute he's macho man, then the next minute he's concerned big brother."

"I don't know what I saw coming, but that was definitely not it. I thought this whole time that he was the wingman, and his partner was the leader," she ran a hand over her face in confusion and sighed.

"I well, at least we got a name, let's go."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Bella asked as she absentmindedly picked at a hang nail. She smiled when she heard John cuss the traffic jam under his breath. They were currently on the way to pick up the little brother from his high school.

"Banana pudding," he said seriously. Bella rolled her eyes.

"I sent a whole large container home with you yesterday, John. I'm pretty sure you're set for the rest of this week with pudding." She frowned at him when he gave her a sheepish look. "No, please tell me you didn't."

"I was up until two doing paperwork! I got hungry," he said defensively.

"You mean to tell me you ate that entire thing in one night!" she exclaimed. John pressed his mouth into a thin line and shrugged. "You're such a pig," Bella sighed. John laughed, but didn't argue.

An obnoxious girly song ran throughout the car; John had come to recognize it as Connor's ringtone. Bella dug around in her purse before finally finding the noisy object.

"Hello Brudder!" Bella greeted. John smiled at the nickname.

"Hey."

The amount of distress that was packed into that one word immediately alarmed her. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Diane and I got in a huge fight. She kicked me out," he grimaced at his sister's gasp.

"Why?" Bella exclaimed.

Connor hesitated on the other end for a moment before saying, "That was actually what I need to talk to you about. Do you care if I crash at your place tonight?"

"Of course not. Where's Adaleah. Is she with you, or Diane?"

"She's at a sleepover with one of her friends from dance class."

"Oh, good. Listen, it's going to be a while before I can make it home. John and I are on a case right now. It shouldn't take too long to wrap up, if all goes well. John actually did his paperwork last night, so we're in the Captain's good graces. I'll see if I can get off after we close this case."

"Alright, sounds good. I'll see you soon. Love you," Connor said with a little more cheerfulness in his voice.

"Love you too," Bella replied. She slowly closed her phone shut and peered curiously out the car window.

"What was that about?" John asked. Bella turned to him with a mixture of worry and puzzlement on her face.

"Con said he and the bitch had a fight. He's going to stay at my place tonight."

"What was the fight about?"

"I don't know. He's going to tell me later."

"You want to cancel dinner, then?" John asked. He was secretly proud at how well he kept the disappointment from showing in his voice.

"Nah. Connor always beats around the bush before he actually tells me what's wrong. He has problems trying to figure out how to explain things, so I usually just get him drunk," she said with an evil smirk. John snorted in amusement and shook his head.

"You're a horrible sister," he commented. Bella puffed out her cheeks and slapped him in the arm.

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"You're such a child, John!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Mr. Schick, do you know why we brought you in here today," John asked. A jockey looking seventeen year old boy sat across from the two detectives in Interrogation room 2.

"Because my brother is a little bitch, and ratted me out?" Richard Schick said with a smart ass smile. Bella raised her eyebrows.

"That's funny, from the way Landon tells it, you're the bitch," she said.

"Oh, that's how he tells it, huh? Well he's lying. He's weak. Always has been," the cocky boy said.

"Weak?" John asked.

"Yeah, Mom used to pretend we were her personal punching bags when she drank. Landon would be all balled up in a corner, crying. Even though he was twice mom's size," he said with a snort.

"Your mother was abusive?" Bella asked.

"I just said that. Open your ears bitch," the boy said. John leaned forward and placed his fists on the table.

"Her name is _Detective _Walker, Wise Ass. Got it?" he growled. Bella looked over at her partner with surprise. The smug boy sat back and smiled as he recognized possessiveness in the older man's tone

"Got it, _sir_," he replied. John sat back in his seat, a scowl set on his face.

"What happened with your mother?" Bella asked. She nudged John's knee with her own underneath the table as a silent thank you. He nudged hers back, his scowl softening to just a mild glare.

"The day Landon turned eighteen he moved out and took me with him. Haven't seen the bitch since." He replied with a shrug.

"Alright, so why did your brother make you rape all those women?" she asked.

"He didn't make me do anything. I made him. At first he didn't want to do it. He even cried," he said in disgust.

"So you admit that you coerced your brother to rape all seven women with you," John said, making sure to have a clear confession for the record.

"Yep!" he said happily. Bella sneered and scooted her chair away from the table.

"You're proud, aren't you?" she asked.

"Mommy always said a boy isn't a man until he proves it," he said sweetly. Bella scoffed and stood from her seat. Her partner followed her quickly to the door. Once outside she turned her head upside down and tussled her curls, as she always did when her nerves were frazzled.

"I don't know about you, but I feel like I need a shower," John tried to joke. Though, it wasn't too far from the truth. He always felt like he had a layer of slime over his skin after talking to a particularly nasty perp.

"Let me just talk to Landon one last time so we can wrap this damn thing up," Bella sighed. They walked across the hallway to Interrogation Room 1.

"How are you going to work it?" John asked from in front of the window. He watched as a nervous Landon paced the room.

"Hard and fast. He's scared of powerful women, so that's what I'll be," she replied before slamming the door open.

"Tell me about your mother, Landon," Bella said, cutting straight to the chase. Her stern tone surprised the man. He walked backwards slowly until his back hit the wall.

"W-what about my mom?" he asked.

"Your brother says she was a mean drunk. Is it true you cowered in the corner and let a woman no bigger than I am beat you and your kid brother?" she asked relentlessly. Landon kept digging his heels into the ground and pushing his back further into the wall, almost as if he was trying to disappear.

"No, it wasn't like that," he said. Bella stalked closer.

"Don't lie to me! I've had enough of your games. Tell me the truth. Did your brother talk you into raping those women with him?" she asked, slightly more calm.

"No," Landon denied and sunk to the ground. He hid his face behind his hands. Bella kneeled down in front of him.

"Stop trying to protect him. He's already admitted to everything. For once in your life, be a man," she said quietly. That seemed to have done the trick. The young man uncovered his face and peered into Bella's mismatched eyes with his pale blue ones.

"It was Richie. It was all his idea," he whispered.

"Why did you go along with it, Landon?" Bella asked.

He let out a bitter laugh and said simply, "He's my brother." Bella said nothing as she stood up and walked out the door. A crowd had gathered in front of the window, as Trina Stocket, Liv, El, and the Captain had all joined John.

"That's fine work, Detective," Cragen praised. Bella smiled half-heartedly at him then turned to Stocket.

"So, how do you think it's going to go?" she asked.

"I'm charging Richard as an adult, and with both their confessions, I think we have a good chance. The defense will pull a psych defense out of their ass, but I think the evidence is enough to slice through it easily," Trina reported. Bella frowned and scratched at her head.

Bella acted like she was going to say something, but she closed her mouth and nodded. "Yeah, alright." She said with down cast eyes. John squinted his eyes, knowing there was something she was too afraid to say. "Hey, captain, my brother called earlier. There's something I really need to take care of at home. Do you care if John and I have the rest of the day off?" she asked hopefully.

"Well John did his paperwork for the first time in three years, and you got two different confessions in a six hour time span, so why not," he said with a small smile. Bella breathed a breath of relief and smiled genuinely at him.

"Thanks, Captain."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"What was it you were going to ask Stocket?" John asked when they were finally in the car and on the way back home.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid. There was something you wanted to say earlier, after you got done interrogating Landon again.

"Oh," she said quietly. She cleared her throat and looked out the window, refusing to meet his eyes. "I was going to ask Stocket to give Landon a lesser sentence."

John gaped at her and shook his head. "The man raped seven women, Bella. Why the hell should he get a lesser charge?" he asked.

"You heard Richard, his brother didn't want to do it. Even the victims reported hearing what sounded like muffled crying."

"Crying, or no crying, he still raped them," John said.

"But, he didn't want to," Bella objected.

"Then how was he able to 'preform'?" John asked with a pointed stare.

"The same reason why rape victims have orgasms when they're being raped. Even if you don't want something to happen, your body is still going to react to sight and touch," she said with a shrug.

"Okay, fine," he said with a frown. "Then why didn't he admit first off that he didn't want to do it?"

"Because of his brother!" she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He felt guilty that he couldn't protect his brother from his mom when they were kids, so he's trying to make up for it now!" she snapped. John looked at her, with realization dawning on his face. Bella kicked off her shoes and hugged her knees to her chest.

This wasn't about the case. This was about what happened when she was little. "Bella, there wasn't anything you could have done. You were too young," he said gently. His partner quickly turned her face towards the window and shrugged.

She was quiet for a long moment before she said quietly, "I always tried to take the smacks for him. Anytime I saw her raise a hand, I pushed him out of the way. I guess I just know how it feels to want to protect someone that you couldn't before."

John reached over and pried an arm loose from around her knees. He slid his hand down her arm and entwined his fingers with hers. "You're a good sister, Bella, and you and your brother didn't rape anyone."

"Yeah, I know. You're right. I'm sorry, this case just got to me I guess," she looked over at him shyly and gave him a tiny smile.

"We all have those days," he said reassuringly. Bella nodded and slipped her feet back into her shoes. They were quiet for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So, about that pudding," John said. Bella giggled and shook her head.

"I don't have any more bananas!" her giggle intensified at his crestfallen look. "I'll go shopping tomorrow and make you a bowl, okay?"

"Have I ever told you that you're my favorite partner?" John smiled and squeezed her hand.

"You may have mentioned it once, or twice."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Bella unlocked her apartment and walked in, John fast on her heels. The younger detective frowned at the lack of lights on in her apartment. "Con?" she called out. After a moment of silence a deep moan came from the direction of her bedroom. John and Bella shared a look before Bella started tip toeing through the hall with John right behind her.

Hesitantly, she opened her cracked bedroom door and then promptly let out a shrill scream. On the middle of her bed was a naked man. On top of said half-naked man, was Connor, clad in nothing but his boxers. John's mouth dropped, but he recovered quickly. He placed a hand over his still screaming partner's mouth and drug her back out of the room while Connor and the mystery man scrambled to find their clothes.

John slammed the door closed and released his partner. She slowly walked down the hallway, her hands fisted in her hair as she bounced off the walls idly. He followed closely behind. He felt his headache from earlier returning. He rubbed at his eyes viciously in an attempt to wipe what he just saw from his memory.

Krissabella stopped behind the couch and turned to him, her eyes wide, hands still fisted in her curls. "D-did that just happen? My brother was having sex. On my bed. With a man. My brother is-is gay!" she said in borderline hysterics. John was speechless. He glanced backwards nervously when he heard the bedroom door open.

Connor walked out slowly, his lover following hesitantly behind. He stopped at the end of the hall, not having the courage to enter the living room completely. With a nervous scratch to the back of his head, he cleared his throat and said, "Uh, I guess I don't have to find a way to tell you now." Bella barked out an abrupt laugh and slapped a hand to her forehead. "Listen, Bells," he started.

"No, just hold on," she said quickly. She swiped a hand down her face and turned to face her brother, though she was unable to look him in the eye. "Look, I'm fine with you being gay, honest, but you're going to have to give me a few minutes to process this. I mean, I just saw my kid brother having sex with another man!" she paused and started backing towards the door, "I'm going to go over to John's and cook dinner. You and you're, uh, _boyfriend_, "she choked on the word, "Shower and then come over. Then you can tell me what in the hell is going on, okay?"

"Yeah, alright," Connor said. He and his sister still hadn't met eyes.

"Okay. Oh, and for God sake, take the sheets off of my bed. Burn them, cut them up, I don't care. Just don't let me see them again!" she said hastily before darting out the door. John stood there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot.

"Uh, see you in a few," he said with an awkward chuckle. He speed walked out the door and shook his head at his partner. She was standing with her head resting on his door, waiting for him to unlock it. He lightly pushed her to the side and unlocked the door

She immediately entered and flopped down belly first on his worn out sofa. Grabbing a cushion and shoving it under her face, she screamed for all she was worth. John sat down on the edge of the couch and rubbed on her back.

"My brother is gay," she said into the pillow, albeit a little hoarsely.

"Seems that way," John agreed. She rolled over slowly and hugged the pillow to her chest.

"I'm going to have to get a new bed," she whined and squeezed her eyes shut tight. John laughed quietly and patted her shoulder sympathetically.

Bella's eyes widened and she sat up abruptly. John flung his arms out to keep himself from flying off the couch. "Oh my God! If Diane knows he's gay, then she's going to want a divorce. That means she's going to try to get custody of Adaleah! Oh my god, Oh my God," she gasped. John grabbed her shoulders and shook gently to get her to stop mumbling to herself.

"Calm down, woman! You know as well as I do that won't happen," John said reassuringly.

"But!" she tried to protest. John stopped her by placing his hand over her mouth again.

"But nothing; it's not going to happen. Adaleah will say she wants to go with Connor. Plus, there's plenty of proof that she's missed important events, like her dance recital. It'll be alright," he said quietly. Bella's frantic eyes relaxed and she nodded.

"Ya know," John said with a coy smile, "Now that I know putting something over your mouth makes you shut up, I think I'm going to invest in some duct tape!"

Bella growled from behind his hand. She turned her head quickly and caught the side of his thumb in between her teeth and bit down. John yelped and yanked his hand back. "You bit me!" he said in shock. Bella pouted and crossed her arms.

"Don't tease me! I just saw my baby brother grinding on top of some naked dude!" she hissed. John smiled and placed his hands on either side of her body. Her eyes widened when he leaned in closer.

"You could always get back at him by letting him find you grinding on top of a naked man, too." He said suggestively. Bella's mouth dropped and she felt her cheeks flair up. She brought her knees up, and before John knew what was happening, she kicked him off the couch into the floor. John groaned when he felt his head bounce off the hardwood floor.

Bella hopped up and kicked at his foot. "Pervert!" she squeaked. John chuckled despite himself and watched as she stomped her way to the kitchen to begin cooking dinner.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Where do I start?" Connor asked nervously. They were all seated around John's small kitchen table.

"The beginning would be nice," Bella said sweetly around a mouthful of chicken and mashed potatoes. Her brother shot her a mean look for her sarcasm and kicked her under the table. Bella hissed and kicked back.

"Okay, children. No fighting at the table," John reprimanded. Connor's mystery man, Devon, snorted into his green beans.

"Yes sir," Connor said in amusement. "Alright, the beginning I guess," his voice got more serious. "Well, we both know I wasn't that great with the ladies growing up."

"The only girlfriend I remember you having was Sally, and that was in the eighth grade," Bella commented.

"She was just a date for graduation. The first woman I ever slept with was Diane, and well," he trailed off. Bella chewed her chicken a little more harshly.

"And that was just because she got you drunk," his sister said bitterly. Connor nodded and swallowed.

"It was around that time that I was coming to terms about being gay, but by then it was too late. I've spent the past six years trying to convince myself that I'm straight," he paused then and smiled shyly at Devon, "Then about two months ago, I met Devon."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella asked in a sad little voice. Connor reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"I didn't know how," he said gently. Bella gave him a small nod of understanding before taking her hand back to scoop up a glob of mashed potatoes.

"So, wait, how did Diane find out?" John asked. Connor shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"She uh, kind of saw the same show you did earlier," he said awkwardly. Bella dropped her fork and slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Jesus, Connor! I understand blazing hormones and all that, but don't you have enough sense not to bang your boyfriend where Diane could walk in any second?" she muttered from behind her hand.

"She said she was going shopping, and she had only been gone for an hour. You know how she is! I figured she wouldn't be back for at least four more hours," he said defensively. Bella shook her head, but then a mischievous look crossed over her face.

She leaned forward and asked excitingly, "Oh_, pleeeeease_ tell me what her reaction was!" Connor rolled his eyes, but obliged her anyway.

"She walked in, turned on the lights, and started screaming 'I knew it!' really loud. Then when she was backing up out of the room, she fell backwards over the shopping bag she had dropped."

John laughed outright when Bella giggled high pitched in absolute glee. She started clapping her hands and bouncing in her chair. She looked like small child on Christmas morning.

"Then what? Then what?" she asked. Her eyes were lit up with excitement.

"We got dressed, and I started packing my stuff. We fought over Adaleah mostly. Then she said she was going to file for divorce, and I told her go ahead. Then she started calling me a fag, so I told her, uh," he stopped and blushed.

"What? What did you tell her?" Bella pushed. She was wiggling on the edge of her seat in eager suspense.

Devon cleared his throat and got everyone's attention. "He said 'You're damn right I'm a fag. How could I not be, when Devon sucks my dick ten times better than you ever could?'"

Bella's mouth dropped for a split second before she joined in with John's rich laughter. "I love you!" she squealed and bent over the table to throw her arms around her brother's neck.

"I love you too," he said through awkward laughter. Bella sat back in her seat and sighed happily.

"So, what about Adaleah?" John asked hesitantly after it had gotten quiet.

"Yeah, that was something I needed to talk to you about," Connor said to his sister," Diane wants to take custody, what should I do?"

"Well, in the event of a marital split, the first person to have the child with them, usually ends up getting to keep them until a court date is set," Krissabella said, slipping straight into business mode.

"So, I should be sure to pick her up tomorrow, before Diane?" he asked.

"I would go and pick her up tonight, just to be on the safe side," John said. Connor nodded and rubbed a hand through his short red hair.

"Alright. So what do I need to do in order to get custody of her?" he asked quietly. Bella could tell her brother was worried.

"Well, considering she caught you in the act of adultery, she's going to come out with a strong case. However, we both know that she's cheated on you with God knows how many men. So, I'll see what I can dig up. In the meantime, you're going to need to get a good lawyer. I'll talk to the ADA and see if she can pull any favors. Also, you need to go through past events in Adaleah's life and write down everyone that you can think of that Diane has missed; you're going to have to think of witnesses to verify that you were there, and that she wasn't," she said slowly and clearly. Connor sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Do you think I'll win?" he asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure he really wanted an answer.

"Yes, I do. You need to go back to your house tomorrow, and force Diane out. You're the one that paid for it, and married or not, your name is on the title," she explained.

"Alright, but you might want to come along. She's not going to go willingly," said Connor.

"If she refuses to go, I'll arrest her!" Bella said with an evil chuckle that made John laugh. She really was having too much fun with this.

"Alright," Connor said with a slight laugh. "I guess I should go get Adaleah then?" he stood up and stretched his back.

"Hey, you guys could come back to my place? Ya know, since it's starting to get late," Devon said quietly. Connor raised his eyebrows at his lover.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course," Devon said gently. Connor smiled shyly and gave him a quick kiss. They parted rather quickly when Bella made a giggle that sounded a lot like '_teehee'. _

"Sis," Connor groaned. A shade of light pink trailed up his neck onto his cheeks.

"I'm sorry! It's just so weird to see you kiss someone, let alone a boy!" she said with another giggle. Her brother rolled his eyes and motioned for her to stand up. He walked around the table and gave her a long hug.

"I love you LaLa," he said sincerely. John raised his eyebrows at the new nickname he had never heard before.

"I love you too," she said back. He leaned back to look at her.

"Uh, do you care if I drop by before we go to Diane's tomorrow? I'm sure Adaleah's going to have a lot of questions, and well you know how bad I suck at wording things," he trailed off with a sheepish grin.

"That's fine, I'll be here," she reassured. Her brother released a breath and hugged her once more. He let her go and turned to a now standing John.

"Nice seeing you again, John. Sorry for, uh, earlier," he said awkwardly. He extended his hand, to which John took.

"No problem man, see you tomorrow," John said with a smile.

"It was nice meeting you all," Devon said sincerely. John and Bella said their farewells and watched the couple leave. Bella continued staring at the door, long after they had left. John came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He smiled when he felt her jump in surprise, but immediately relax.

"John," she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"My brother is gay," she said calmly. John snorted and rubbed on her shoulders.

"I know, I was there too, remember?"

"John," she said, this time in excitement.

"Yes?" he asked. She spun around quickly and threw her arms around his neck. Caught off guard and thoroughly shocked, he stood there with his arms raised to his sides.

"I don't have to deal with that stupid bitch anymore!" she squealed. She began hopping up and down, and making the most girly sounds he had ever heard. He laughed and placed his arms around her back in a vain attempt to help from being jarred to death by her erratic jumping up and down.

With another girlish squeal she released him and started twirling on her tiptoes around his kitchen while throwing her arms in the air. John sat on the edge of the table and watched as his partner continued to dance and giggle like a mad woman.

**1)I know, I know, I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER. I'm SO sorry guys!  
**

**2)****PLEASE NOTE:**** This chapter picks up ****FIVE MONTHS**** after the previous chapter. Thus why they seem a bit more flirtatious and closer than the last chapter, due to the amount of time that has elapsed.**

**3)How did you guys like this chapter? Enough plot twists for you? I promise it will get more focused on John and Bella's personal relationship soon, and there's a lot of fluff in the next chapter (;**

**4)Thank you so much for your reviews! They seriously keep me going, and sure as heck make me write faster! Keep them coming purdy please!**


	5. A Five Year Old's Whim

**A FIVE YEAR OLD'S WHIM**

**Disclaimer: Do not own original SVU characters.**

John moaned as he shrugged on his sweatshirt. His back was really starting to hurt him in his old age. He twisted around slowly and grimaced when his spine let out a hellacious pop. Sighing in a bit of relief, he slipped on his shoes and trudged out the door across the hall to Bella's apartment. He twisted the knob and let himself in. He immediately frowned at the lack of light and nonexistent smell of coffee brewing. She was usually awake by now, seeing as how it was after eleven. Plus, the door was unlocked. Surely, she hadn't fallen asleep without locking it. He frowned and made a mental note to lecture her later about the dangers of keeping the door unlocked at night.

He heard a small sigh from the direction of the couch. Quietly, he walked to the other side. Immediately, he felt a small smile form on his face. His partner was all sprawled out on the couch, with a blanket bunched over her hips and thighs. Her bare right leg was dangling off the side, and her arms were stretched over her head. His eyebrows rose when he realized she was wearing one of his shirts. It was a light grey t-shirt that had 'Baltimore' and his shield number written in blue on it. On the back was written 'Baltimore Homicide Department', and the department's crest design. He had been looking for that shirt for almost two weeks.

He carefully sat down in the curve of her side and gently shook her shoulder. She mumbled something indecipherable in her sleep and smacked at his hand. "Bella," he said softly. This time, he shook her shoulder with a little more force. Her mismatched eyes slowly drifted open.

"John? What time's it?" she slurred sleepily.

"Almost eleven thirty. Did you sleep with your door unlocked?" he asked.

"Uh-uh. I got up earlier and unlocked it for you, but I accidently fell back 'sleep," she said. John smiled at the sleep still in her voice. She stretched and winced when her knees popped.

"Is that my shirt?" he asked in amusement. He smirked when she puckered her lips into a shy smile and wrung her hands.

"You left it here after you used my bathtub a few weeks ago. I washed it, and well, it was soft," she mumbled shyly. She smiled at him and said, "It's mine now!" John rolled his eyes, but couldn't squash the impending grin on his face.

"You can have it. Did you sleep here all night?" he asked when he noticed the pillow from her bed was underneath her head.

Bella scowled and said, "Yeah, I couldn't force myself to sleep in my bed. Adaleah's bed hurts my back, so I slept on the couch." John shook his head and stifled a laugh. He scooted back to give her enough room to sit up. He smirked when she touched her hair and let out an embarrassed huff. Her chaotic curls were sticking in every direction, almost making it look like an afro. With a quiet curse under her breath and a light blush over her cheeks, she got the hair tie off her wrist and wrestled her unruly locks into a messy pony tail.

"So what's the plan?" he asked to distract her from her mild embarrassment. She really was too cute for her own good sometimes.

"Shower and coffee," she said as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I meant after the obvious," he said. Bella lightly kneed him in the butt and glared at him.

"I guess just wait for Connor to show up. Hey, you wouldn't mind coming with us to kick Diane out, would you? Since I'm family, and everyone knows I can't stand her, they might say my intentions are unlawful," she asked hesitantly.

"Sure. Does that mean I get to arrest her if she puts up a fuss?" he asked. He laughed when Bella shook her head violently, making her pony tail whip her in the face.

"Oh no, that honor is all mine!" she said with an evil smile. She stretched once more before tossing the blanket over the back of the couch. She quickly pulled down the t-shirt over her thighs, but not too quick for John to get a pleasant eyeful of the creamy white skin. She lightly nudged him to make him stand up. John obliged and reached down to haul her up off the couch. She stood up and stretched once again, this time releasing a large yawn.

"Okay, I'm gonna shower. Do you mind putting on a pot of coffee?" she asked. John put a finger on his chin.

"I don't know. That seems like a lot of work."

She puffed out her lip and said, "Pweeeease?"

"Okay, okay. Enough with the puppy dog face," John said seriously. Never in his life had he ever been a sucker for a pout; his ex-wives had tried it on him in order to get what they wanted. However, it was entirely different with Bella. All she had to do was stick out that lower lip, or smile that crooked little smile of hers until her dimples showed. He was tied around her finger, and he was fairly certain she knew it.

"Thank you!" she said in a sing song voice. John watched as she turned on her heels and marched to the bathroom. His eyes traveled greedily down her backside. He had quickly decided that he would give her every shirt in his closet, just to see her wear them. There was something about a woman in his clothes that drove him crazy. He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face before going to work on the coffee.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John sat on his partner's plush couch and listened to the quiet humming coming from her bedroom as she got dressed. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard her squeal.

"John!" she yelled. John hopped up and quickly sat his coffee down on the table before jogging to her room.

Bella was standing in the very corner of the room, clad in a T-shirt and still holding a towel around her bottom half. He gave her a look of confusion, to which she pointed at the floor in front of her. There was a spider- a _big _spider, standing not even a foot away from her bare toes. John began laughing so hard he had to put a hand on the bed to brace himself. Bella shrieked as the spider slowly crawled towards her.

"John, it's not funny! Kill it!" she hissed. She was on her tiptoes as far back as she could go. John took pity on his poor partner, and still laughing, stepped forward and stepped on it. Bella sneered at the crunch sound.

"For God sake, it was just a spider!" he said in pure amusement. Bella pouted and crinkled her nose. She stepped down off her tiptoes and took a step towards him.

"That," she said in disgust as she pointed to the murdered spider, "is _not_ a spider. That is some kind of mutated _thing_ that was probably poisonous and could have killed me!" she said with an all too serious face. John snorted.

"You are being entirely too over dramatic," he said with a smile. Bella puffed out her cheeks and pushed on his chest.

"I am not! Now if you would please get out so I can finish putting clothes on," she said sternly. John turned and walked slowly, smiling when she growled and began pushing him forwards with her free hand.

"I just saved you from a radioactive spider, and this is how you treat your hero?" he said with dramatic flair. Bella scoffed from behind him as she finally got him through the doorway.

"Okay, I'll cook you an omelet when I'm done. That good enough, _Mr. Hero_?"

John nodded briefly and turned to her. "That sounds promising, good citizen," he said in a deep voice. Bella giggled and gave him a push before promptly slamming the door in his face. Chuckling to himself, he grabbed his coffee off of the coffee table and took a seat at the kitchen table.

Bella didn't keep him waiting long. Five minutes later found the younger detective padding out of her bedroom with Tank in her arms. "I wuv you," she cooed as the feline rubbed his head against her chin. Tank purred as she flipped him around on his back like a baby and scratched his tummy. She leaned her neck down and kissed him fondly on the nose.

She paused when she got to John, and dropped the cat to the floor. "What kind of omelet do you want?" she asked as she tucked a damp curl behind her ear.

"Cheese, tomatoes, ham, sausage, and peppers," he answered. Bella nodded and moved to open the fridge, but was halted by a soft knock on the door.

"It's open!" she shouted. The door burst open and the detectives smiled when Adaleah ran into the house, her wild curls bobbing.

"Bella!" she squealed and jumped into her aunt's waiting arms.

"Hiya, squirt. You hungry? I'm making omelets," she said. Adaleah nodded enthusiastically.

"Ham and cheese?" she asked. Bella nodded and sat her down. Immediately, the little girl ran to John and hopped up on his lap before throwing her arms around his neck.

"Hello Johnnie," she said with a large smile.

"Hey, kid," he replied, returning her smile. Adaleah kissed his cheek and then settled back onto his lap. She picked up his hand and began playing with his fingers. Bella smiled softly at the two before turning her attention to the other two visitors.

"Hey boys, want an omelet?" she asked.

The boys shook their heads no, but Devon asked, "No thank you, but do mind if I can have a glass of water?

"Sure, have a seat," she motioned to the table. The boys did as they were told. It was quiet while she poured Devon a drink, and then gathered the ingredients for the omelets.

"Diane's furious," Connor said wearily after a long silence.

"What happened?" his sister asked as she put the beginnings of John's omelet in the pan.

"She tried to pick Adaleah up this morning, and obviously, she wasn't there. She called me and threatened to call the cops," he said. Bella snorted.

"Daddy, are you and mommy fighting?" Leah asked from John's lap. Connor turned to her slowly and cleared his throat.

"Well you see, honey. I-" he stopped, not knowing how to go on. He sighed heavily and rubbed a hand through his hair. Devon rubbed his back affectionately.

"Yes, we are," he said honestly. Bella hung back and listened, ready to jump in if needed.

"Why?" she asked off-handedly. She was laying her palm across John's and comparing sizes. Connor looked to his sister for help. She plated John's omelet and placed it on the table in front of him.

"Lee, you remember when you asked me why I've never been married?" Krissabella asked as she started on the next omelet.

"Mhm," the little girl hummed.

"What did I say?" she asked.

"You said that sometimes people fall out of love," Leah said. Her face scrunched up and she took on a look of intense concentration. "So, daddy doesn't love mommy anymore?" she asked. She turned to her father.

"We've just grown apart, Lee," he said quietly. Adaleah nodded, and then frowned.

"Do you still love me?" she asked in a tiny voice. Connor leaned forward and took her face in his hands.

"Of course! What happens between me and mommy doesn't have anything to do with you. It doesn't matter what happens, I'll always love you, okay?" he said gently. Adaleah nodded and Connor kissed her nose.

After he had leant back up in his seat, Adaleah asked, "Why are you fighting?"

Connor struggled for a moment before he answered. "Because I've fallen in love with someone else."

"Oh," she said quietly.

"Does mommy love someone else, too?" she asked. Bella plated Adaleah's omelet in front of her.

"I don't know, sweetie, but I know she doesn't love me anymore." Connor said. Adaleah nodded and tried to eat her omelet. After several failed attempts, John gently took the fork out of her hand and began cutting it into bite sized pieces.

"Who do you love then?" Adaleah asked suddenly. Connor shifted in his chair and quickly side glanced at Bella. She nodded reassuringly and gave him a small smile.

"Devon," he said seriously. Adaleah frowned and pursed her lips.

"Devon's a boy," she said in confusion.

Connor leaned forward and said, "I know. And that's okay. Boys are allowed to love boys, just like girls are allowed to love girls."

Adaleah's brows furrowed as she processed this new information. She looked up at John then and asked, "Do you love boys, too?"

"No, I only like girls," he answered truthfully. Adaleah nodded and then turned to Bella.

"Do you love girls?" she asked.

"No, I like boys," she said as she turned to rinse off the dirty pan in the sink. Adaleah stared down at her freshly cut omelet in concentration.

"So, do I have two daddies now?" she asked as she took a bite of food. John grinned when a piece of ham fell off the fork and onto his knee. She looked quickly up at him and whispered, "Ooops," before flicking it off onto the floor.

"Not unless we get married," Connor said awkwardly. He and Devon hadn't really discussed whether he wanted to be in the daddy position or not. Adaleah nodded.

"Okay," she said with a shrug. Connor let out a relieved sigh, and Bella smiled. She wished the world could be as accepting as her five year old niece.

"Are you okay with making Devon part of our family?" Connor asked. Adaleah smiled at Devon and nodded.

"I like you!" she said at the new comer. Devon smiled widely.

"I like you, too," he returned. Adaleah clapped her hands happily and then went back to eating. After it had gotten quiet, the little girl's face took on a mischievous attribute.

"Hey Johnnie," she said in a sing song voice. John immediately sensed trouble.

"Yes?" he answered wearily.

"You like girls, right?"

"Right."

"Bella is a girl," she said as she looked up at him. John looked down at her with squinted eyes.

"Yeah, so?"

"You think she's pretty, right?"

John glanced nervously around the kitchen, his eyes rested on Bella's smirking face. With a huff he said, "Yes."

"Well," she said nonchalantly, "If you think she's pretty, then you guys can fall in love and get married. Then you can have a baby!" she said happily. Devon choked on his drink, and Connor began laughing at the horrified faces the detectives were making. Bella slapped a hand to her fore head and sighed. Her niece couldn't seem to let the idea go.

"It doesn't work like that sweetheart," Connor said after he had calmed down.

"Why not? Bella said she likes John!" she said with a stern pout as she crossed her arms. Bella turned around swiftly from the sink and looked at her niece with wide eyes.

"No I didn't!" she said with a stern glare.

Not fazed by the evil glares she was receiving, Adaleah sat up straighter and said, "Yes you did! You said that he was cute!" Bella's mouth dropped and she felt her face grow hot when she noticed John's wide smile.

"That doesn't mean I like him, Leah!" she hissed.

"Then why did you say you wanted to kiss him?" the little girl said with a sassy shake of her head. John's eyebrows raised to his hair line as his partner turned a scarlet hue and she stood there, sputtering.

"I didn't say that!" she said shrilly.

"Did too!" Adaleah argued.

"Adaleah Marie Walker, stop lying!" Bella said as she threw her hands up.

"I'm not ly-"

"Adaleah, stop it. Quit trying to play match maker," Connor said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"But I'm not lying!" the little girl screeched.

"Adaleah, that's enough," her father said sternly this time. Adaleah pouted and glared angrily down at the floor. Connor sighed and stood up awkwardly. "Is everyone ready now? We might as well get this over with."

"Yeah, just let me put this stuff away and we'll be on our way, okay?" Bella said stiffly. Devon motioned to Adaleah, and she held her arms out to be picked up off John's lap.

"Alright, thanks, sis. See ya down there," he said quickly. He motioned to the door and rushed Devon in its direction. They left the partners in an awkward silence.

After a moment, John stood and gathered all the dirty dishes and dumped them into the sink to be washed later. Bella was kneeled down to put the egg carton back in the fridge. She stood up, let out a quick breath, and grabbed at her side. John frowned and walked up beside her.

"Did you eat anything?" he asked, even though he knew the answer was no. Bella turned and walked around him to the other side of the counter. She refused to meet his eyes.

"I'm not hungry."

"Bella," he groaned, "You need to eat to keep your strength up!" She walked back around to the other side of the counter and began putting the left over peppers in a zip lock baggy.

"I know, but I'm not hungry. I'll eat a big lunch," she said. She placed the peppers in the freezer and turned around. She gasped when she walked face first into John's chest. Bella pressed her back against the fridge and looked up at him hesitantly, still not meeting his eyes. When he didn't move, she tried to go around him, only to be stopped when he placed a hand on the fridge. She frowned and looked down at her feet. "Move, I still have to put the cheese away," she grumbled.

"At least eat an apple?" he asked gently. Bella sighed and looked him in the eye for the first time since Adaleah's outburst.

"Okay fine, now would you please get out of the way?" she huffed. John grinned and sidestepped. His partner quickly grabbed the cheese and tossed it onto a random shelf in the refrigerator. She grabbed an apple off the table, washed it, and took a bite. She raised her eyebrows at John and asked, "There, happy now?"

"Very," he chuckled at her eye roll. He followed her to the door and smirked to himself. "If you eat the whole thing, maybe I'll give you one of those kisses you seem to want so bad."

Bella turned swiftly on her heels, causing John to bounce off of her. "I do _not_ want to kiss you!" she hissed. John pouted and put a hand over his heart.

"Why not? Don't you think I'm cute?" he asked. He smiled when she groaned and stomped her foot. She turned back around and flung the door open, a blush creeping up her face.

"I will seriously shoot you in the foot if you don't shut up!"

He shut up.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"That doesn't look good," Bella commented as she and John parked outside of Connor's home. Devon was holding onto Adaleah at the edge of the walkway. Diane was screaming and pushing on Connor from the doorway of the house.

John grunted in agreement and followed his partner's example by getting out of the car rather quickly. Diane scowled as soon as she saw Bella jogging up the walk way.

"What, you think your cop sister can intimidate me?" she screeched at her husband.

"No, she's just here to make sure you leave," Connor said through gritted teeth. "And would you please stop screaming. You're scaring Adaleah!" Diane paused and noticed her daughter hiding in Devon's arms for the first time since they had arrived.

"Why the hell is that faggot holding my daughter? Adaleah, come here right now!" she yelled. Adaleah whined and burrowed further into Devon's arms. John watched as his partner's jaw tightened and she pushed Connor out of the way. John glanced around and noted a few of the neighbors had come out on their porches to watch the scene.

"His name is Devon, not faggot. You're scaring Adaleah, and making a public scene. If you don't leave, right now, I'm going to arrest you," she hissed in a low voice. Diane sputtered angrily and took a step forward, looking down at the shorter woman.

"How _dar_e you!" Diane growled. The two women were less than two inches apart.

"Are you going to leave now, or am I going to have to drag you away in cuffs?" Bella asked.

"Why don't you just stay out of it, you stupid bitch?" Diane said with a flip of her hand near Bella's face. The vein in Bella's temple flushed out and she began grating her teeth together.

"I'm not going to ask you again," Bella whispered. Diane hissed and shoved the detective backwards. Bella caught her balance quickly and released a low growl. The busty blonde lunged forwards at Bella. John watched with wide eyes as Bella quickly side stepped. She grabbed Diane by the back of the shirt collar and the seat of her pants, swung her in the air, and then slammed her to the ground. She then placed a knee in the middle of her back and quickly unclipped her handcuffs from her belt.

"Diane Walker, you are under arrest for assaulting a police officer and public indecency," she said tiredly. John stood there, his eyes glued to his partner. He had never seen her get physical before. He knew that she was stronger than she looked, but watching her pick Diane up like she was a sack of potatoes was surprising- and a little arousing. He cleared his throat and watched as she hauled the cursing woman up to her feet and shoved her down the walk way to the car.

John slowly turned to Connor, who looked just as surprised as he felt. Connor looked at John and raised his eyebrows. John chuckled and shrugged. "We'll drop her off at a station house and let you know what's going on a little later, alright?" John said. Connor sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.

"Alright. Thanks, John," he said with a tired smile. John nodded and walked down to Devon and Adaleah. The little girl's face was shoved in Devon's neck.

"We'll call in a little bit after we figure out what's going on. Make Connor get some sleep, would ya?" John asked. Devon breathed out a small laugh and nodded. John frowned at the quiet little girl. He tickled at her exposed ear, which earned him a small giggle. Slowly, she turned her head and looked up at him with watery eyes.

"I'll see you later, kid," he said gently. Adaleah nodded and John turned to walk away. A little voice halted him in his tracks.

"I love you, Johnnie," she said quietly. Touched by the enduring sincerity in her voice, John turned around slowly with a small smile.

"I love you too," he said. He gave her a small wave and finished his trek to the car, a small smile still on his face. He walked up to Bella, whom was leaned up against the passenger side of the car.

"You alright?" he asked when he noticed she was breathing somewhat heavily.

"Yeah, just tired," she said. John frowned. She had only been awake for about three hours now, she shouldn't be tired. He drew his hand up and laid it across her forehead to check her temperature, which made the younger detective laugh.

"John I'm fine," she said.

"No you're not. You need to eat something more than just an apple," he said seriously. Bella huffed and rolled her eyes.

"John, I'm fine. Really," at his disapproving look she added, "You can cook me lunch when we get back if it would make you feel better."

John thought about it for a second before nodding approvingly. "Promise you'll eat it?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said with a sly little smile. John huffed, and then smirked when he was struck with an idea.

"What if I give you a kiss afterwards?" he asked slyly. Bella's nose scrunched up and she began to pout.

"Would you _please_ stop with that? I never said I wanted to kiss you!" she hissed. She moved to push at him, but the older detective quickly jumped backwards out of her arm's length. John chuckled and walked around to the other side of the car.

"Whatever you say," he said smugly. He laughed and got into the car as Bella growled and stomped her foot.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Bella collapsed onto her couch with a sigh. Tanks immediately hopped up and curled into a ball on her stomach. Man handling Diane to the ground and dragging her to the police station had taken more out of her than she would care to admit. John sat down in the curve of her side and reached behind him to stroke the cat's back.

"So, that was fun," John said after a moment. Bella chuckled quietly and nodded.

"I thoroughly enjoyed slamming her to the ground if that's where you're getting at," she said evilly. John snorted and shook his head.

"I was surprised you could lift her up that high."

"I may be tiny, but I'm stronger than I look!" she said proudly. John smiled at her smug, crooked smile.

"Did you happen to work up an appetite?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Would you leave me alone if I said no?" she replied wearily.

"Probably not," he smiled when she sighed heavily.

"Grilled cheese?" she asked. She rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Sure," he said with a shrug. He shooed Tanks off of his partner's lap, which earned him an annoyed twitch of the tail from the feline. He grabbed Bella's hands and hoisted her up, frowning when she swayed lightly. He braced a hand on the curve of her back and gave her a gentle push in the right direction. After he made sure she was seated, he set to work.

"You know," Bella said conversationally, "Someone's birthday is in a few weeks."

John opened the fridge and peered around for cheese. "Oh, really?" he said lightly. He was actually dreading his birthday. He was turning forty-nine this year. One of his worst fears was growing old alone, and so far it seemed that it was coming true. After four failed attempts, he was starting to think he should give up.

"Mhm. He's turning forty-nine, but he doesn't look it. He could probably pass for in his late thirties," she laughed when John snorted and tossed an amused glance over his shoulder. He knew she was kidding, but still, it was a nice stroke to his ego.

"Kissing my ass won't get you out of eating," he teased. Bella pouted and laid her head in her hand.

"Actually, that was a real compliment, but since you said that, I take it back. You're a dusty old geezer," she said. John scowled, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm not old," he mumbled as he turned back around to place the sandwich in the pan. Bella giggled at his forlorn demeanor.

"So, what do you want for your birthday?" she asked.

"You don't have to get me anything," he said immediately. Bella scoffed.

"Shut up. Either tell me something you want, or I'm buying you pink underwear," she said seriously.

"I could always use more underwear," he said just as serious. He cracked a smile when she groaned.

"Seriously, what do you want?" she asked. John hummed in thought and flipped the sandwich.

"Honestly?"

"No, I want you to lie to me," she said with a roll of her eyes.

John ignored her sarcasm and said, "I want chicken casserole, and a large thing of banana pudding."

Bella waved her hand in an annoyed fashion, "That doesn't count! I already planned on making you a birthday dinner! What do you want _other_ than food?" she asked.

"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it," he admitted.

"That's okay; you've got a while to think about it. Do you want to go out anywhere?"

John plated her sandwich and placed it in front of her, "Why?" he asked.

Bella stopped with the grilled cheese halfway to her mouth and raised a manicured eyebrow. "What do you mean, why? It's your birthday," she said confused. John bit the inside of his cheek in thought and began putting the bread and cheese away. He then moved to wash the pan. He had never had someone go to such great lengths to make a birthday special; not once had he had a birthday party growing up. All of his wives had got him something like socks, or the occasional, rare proposition of birthday sex. It was strange that someone was offering more than just was expected.

"Uh, I don't guess so?" he said almost awkwardly. Bella watched him, curious at his suddenly weird behavior.

"Alright. If you change your mind, let me know," she said. She looked up to make sure he was still turned towards the sink, and then she quietly slipped a large portion of her grilled cheese to Tank underneath the table. Thinking that she had gotten away with it, she smiled proudly to herself.

"I saw that," John said without turning around. Bella's eyes widened in awe. Surely, he was bluffing.

"Saw what?" she asked sweetly.

"You just fed over half of your sandwich to the cat!"

"How the hell?" Bella stammered. John turned around with a smug grin.

"I saw your reflection through the window," he said in a haughty voice. Bella pouted and glared at the window as if were sin. John dried his hands and took a seat in front of her. He frowned when he noticed she wasn't eating the remaining portion of her food.

"Bella, you only took two bites," he said. Bella looked down at her lap and knotted her fingers together.

"I know, but I got full," she said quietly.

"How can you be full, when you didn't eat anything?"

"I wasn't really hungry to begin with," she replied. John sat back in his chair and quietly observed his partner. Dark circles were starting to form under her eyes. She looked like she was starting to lose a bit of weight, and that worried him immensely. She was already petite to begin with; she couldn't afford to lose a lot of weight.

"You know what I want for my birthday?" he said in a soft voice. Bella looked up at him through tired eyes.

"What?"

"I want you to go to a doctor," he said seriously. Bella sighed and rubbed a hand over her burning eyes.

"Alright, alright," she agreed. John grinned and stood to stick her plate in the sink. Tanks meowed up at him, and he grumbled at the feline in mild annoyance before dumping the remaining piece of sandwich to the ground for him.

"But, I don't have a primary doctor anymore, since I moved. I wanted to find someone closer, but never got around to it," she said. John shrugged and walked back over to her. She immediately extended her hands, and John helped her to her feet. He unconsciously draped his arm around her waist and led her into the living room.

"That's fine, I'll drive you to the hospital," he reasoned.

"I hate hospitals," Bella said, mildly distracted from the warmth of his arm around her waist.

"I think everyone does," he paused when they got in front of the couch. "Is there anything you need to get or do before we go?"

Bella's eyebrows rose and she turned slightly to look up at him. "I didn't mean that I'll go today!"

"What's the point in waiting?" John asked.

"What if Connor calls? Or, what if-"

"Diane is in custody, Connor is just fine," he said sternly. His arm tightened around her waist and he began slowly leading her to the door.

"I don't want to go today," she said sternly. She turned, but was stopped when John placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I'd drag you to the hospital kicking and screaming if I had to," he said seriously. Bella's mouth dropped and she smacked his hands off of her shoulders. John immediately grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the door.

"John!" she said in protest. He turned to her with a pleading look on his face that made the fight drain out of her.

"Would you just please stop fighting with me, and go?" he asked quietly. Bella hesitated for a moment, but then gave him a conceding nod.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"What's taking so long?" Bella asked irritably. She shivered from the cold temperature the hospital insisted on keeping. They had been at the hospital for well over three hours. After feeling around on her stomach for a few moments and asking questions, the doctor had ordered an abdominal ultrasound and blood tests. Needless to say, the young detective had had her fill of being poked and proded, and was more than ready to go home.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," John said as he took a seat beside her on the rickety hospital bed. He laid his arm across her shoulders and smiled when she laid her head down on his shoulder. She clapped a hand over her mouth against a wide yawn.

"You said that twenty minutes ago," she mumbled. John smirked and gave her shoulder a squeeze. A moment later there was a light knock at the door. Doctor Yenning entered soon after.

"How you feeling?" he asked politely. Bella mentally sneered at the question.

"I'm alright. What did you find?" she asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. The doctor leaned against the small corner desk and opened the file.

"The last blood transfusion you had was about six years ago, correct?" the doctor asked. John's eyebrows rose to his hairline and he glanced at his partner in confusion.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. It was sometime that year in December," she said with a nod.

"Have you had any arrhythmias or heart palpitations since the last transfusion?" the doctor asked. John frowned and stared intently at his partner. What the hell was going on?

"No, not a single one. The only thing that's changed is my energy level. Over the past couple of months I've been getting tired easier and more often. Is the Anemia getting worse?" she asked.

"Your red blood cell count is a lot lower than what it used to be. They are being destroyed before your bone marrow has enough time to regenerate to compensate for the loss. That being said, every time a red blood cell is destroyed, it leaves behind a chemical called bilirubin," he paused and gave the detectives time to digest the large medical terms, "Your gallbladder is having trouble sifting through all of the extra bilirubin. As a result, it keeps piling up until it eventually forms pigment gallstones." He grabbed the ultra sound print outs and lifted them up to show.

"You have four rather large gallstones in your gallbladder right now, which is what has been causing you pain. What we're going to have to do is laparoscopic surgery." He came forward and touched her stomach, right above her belly button. "We'll make a very small incision above your navel to put the camera in. Then, we'll make three more here, here, and here," he moved his hand to three different spots on her upper right side, "Which is where we'll work to remove the stones." He stood back and placed his hands into the pocket of his lab coat.

"The surgery isn't likely to leave any scars, and if it does, they'll be very small and most likely unnoticeable. Do you have any questions so far?" he asked.

"How long will I be out of work for?" she asked immediately. John smirked. His partner really was too much of a workaholic.

"The minimum recommended days are seven, but it really depends on how you're healing and feeling." He answered.

"How dangerous is the surgery?" John piped up for the first time since the doctor entered.

"As a whole, the surgery is pretty clean cut and simple. However, it is surgery. There are always risks with anesthesia, or infection, but these are unlikely. I've done this procedure more times than I can count in my career, and haven't lost a patient yet," he smiled reassuringly at the duo. He looked back down at the charts for a moment and stoked his chin with a finger.

"The next thing that I need to discuss with you is your anemia. A couple of weeks after your surgery, I'd like to set you up for another blood transfusion. Do you have any relatives with your blood type that may be willing to donate?" he asked. Bella bit her lip in thought.

"Not that I can think of. My father was the only person with my blood type," she said a little sadly.

"I'll do it," John said. Krissabella turned to him with a surprised look on her face. "We're the same blood type. I'll donate," he said with a shrug.

"Are you sure?" his partner asked. John shot her a pointed look and nudged her lightly on the shoulder.

"Of course I'm sure," he said. Bella smiled crookedly at him in a silent thank you. The doctor clicked his pen and began to scribble in the file.

"Excellent. We'll see how the transfusion works for you. If it lowers the amount of red blood cells being destroyed, then I'll start you on a low dose Prednisone to keep it under control. If the transfusion doesn't have as strong of an effect as I like, we may have to look into removing your spleen-because it creates a large majority of the antibodies that attack your red blood cells," Doctor Yenning said. Bella sighed and rubbed a tired hand over her face.

"Any questions?" he asked. Bella shook her head no and John remained silent. "I have you scheduled for surgery nine a.m. two days from now on Monday morning. Is that alright?" he asked.

"Yes, that'll be fine. Is there anything I need to do to get ready for it?" Bella asked.

"Make sure that you eat light; try to stick with things like soup and fruits. Also, do not take any pain killers, or medications that have antihistamines in them-such as Tylenol. They make it to where your blood is harder to clot. The surgery should only take two to three hours. If all goes according to plan, you should be able to go home late that afternoon," the Doctor said. He stood up and gathered his pens and the file. "Don't worry Ms. Walker, I'll take good care of you," he said reassuringly.

"Thank you," Bella returned with a small smile. The doctor gave a curt nod to John, which the detective returned, before he made a quick exit.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" John asked in an accusing tone. He helped his partner shrug off her jacket. Bella collapsed onto the couch and smiled when Tanks immediately hopped up onto her lap.

"You didn't ask," Krissabella teased. She sighed when John sat down and scowled at her. Apparently, this was one of those rare occasions where John didn't make light of a situation with jokes. "I really didn't think about it. It hasn't been bothering me until a few months ago. It's just one of those things you learn to live with, ya know?"

"What exactly is wrong? I've never heard of anemia causing gallstones."

"It's called Hemolytic Anemia, I inherited it from dad. Basically, my immune system kills my red blood cells quicker than my bone marrow can make them. When I was younger, it used to give me arrhythmia, or heart palpitations because my heart wasn't getting enough oxygen. I went through a year of monthly blood transfusions, and for the most part it evened things out. I guess it's just getting worse with my age," she said with a shrug. John digested the new information and gave his partner a once over.

"If I knew you were sick, I never would have let you push yourself so hard at work," he said with a stern glare over his glasses. Bella laughed and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"It's fine John, really. After the blood transfusion and the prednisone, I'll be alright," she said reassuringly. John sighed, but dropped the subject with a nod of his head.

"I need to call Cragen and tell him you won't be there next week, and I won't be there Monday, or Tuesday," he reached in his back pocket and pulled out his phone. He stopped when he saw Bella grinning at him in amusement. "What?"

"What do you mean 'we' won't be there? I thought _I_ was the one having surgery?"

"Well yeah, but you're going to need someone to drive you to and from the hospital, and you'll be too sore the next day to get out of bed when you need something."

"I'll be fine, John. You've done so much already, you don't have to play nurse too," she said with a shy little smile. John leaned closer to her face and smiled coyly.

"Who said I was the one going to play nurse? I'm sure we can find you a nurse's outfit in that top drawer full of lingerie beside your bed," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bella squeaked and quickly grabbed the couch cushion behind her and tossed it at her partner's head.

"Pervert!" she screeched. John laughed and caught the pillow before it could connect with his nose. "Stop going through my things!" she hissed. Actually, he stumbled across the drawer by accident. There was an evening Bella asked him to get her a pair of socks from the _bottom_ drawer, but he opened the _top _drawer instead. That drawer often led him to lace-filled dreams.

He smiled at his blushing partner and said, "Oh, come on, Twinkles. I'm just kidding." His smile widened at her withering glare.

"I hate you," she sighed. A tiny smile was threatening to break through her pretend frown.

"Do you normally want to kiss people you hate?" he teased. Bella growled and moved to smack him in the back of the head. John grabbed her wrist and held it above her head. Her other hand shot out to punch his chest, but he grabbed that one as well and held it above her head.

"I do _not_ want to kiss you! Stop saying that!" she said with a pout. John lowered her hands down onto her lap, but kept them held in his own.

"I don't believe you. You hungry?" he asked. Bella blinked at the sudden change in conversation topic.

"A little bit," she answered. She looked down at their joined hands and momentarily marveled at how soft his hands were.

"Chicken noodle soup okay?" he asked after he cleared his throat. Her hands were tiny, barely half the size of his.

"Yeah, that's okay." She said quietly. Connor's obnoxious, girly ringtone began echoing through the apartment, making the two detectives jump apart. They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before Bella moved to grab her phone, and John stood to begin making her soup.

"Hey, Brudder," Bella greeted.

"Hey, sis. I've got a quick question, do you care if Lee comes and stays the night with you tonight through the weekend? The police visits and lawyer calls are stressing her out a little bit. I don't really want her around to hear all of this stuff."

"Yeah, of course. She'll have to go home a little earlier on Sunday though."

"That's fine. Got plans?"

"I wish. I have to have surgery early the next morning."

"What?" Connor exclaimed. John snorted; he had heard that all the way from the kitchen.

"My anemia gave me gallbladder stones. I go Monday morning to get rid of them. Then about a week later, I'm going in for a blood transfusion."

"So your anemia is worse? Is your heart okay? Have you felt any murmurs, or-"

"Connor! Chill, little brother. I'm fine, honest. No biggy."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Never mind about Adaleah then, I'll keep her home."

"No, no. It's fine, really. I'd like to see her; go ahead and bring her over."

"You sure?"

"Stop asking me that, of course I'm sure," she said with a laugh.

"Alright, but if it gets to be too much, call me and let me know, alright?"

"Will do."

"See you in about five minutes. Love you."

"Love you," she hung up and shook her head with a small smile. John came over and held out his hand to pull her up from the couch.

"Leah coming over?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's staying until Sunday. Con doesn't want her hearing all the police and lawyer mumbo jumbo."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" he asked skeptically. Bella stopped halfway to the kitchen table and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, you'd think I was dying!" she said with a scowl. John grabbed her hand and led her to the table.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I just worry about you," he said softly as he got her soup from the microwave. Bella smiled affectionately at the shy little undertone in his voice.

"Hey, if I can handle throwing Diane's fat ass to the ground, I can handle some gallstones, right?" she asked with a smile. John sat her soup down and chuckled.

"Point well made. You know, you never told me how you felt about Connor being gay," he said conversationally. Bella sipped at her soup and hissed when she burnt her tongue. John smirked and stood up to get her a glass of water.

"It's really odd. I think it wouldn't have been so weird if I didn't find out by catching him and Devon doing it on my bed," she turned and scowled over her shoulder in the direction of her bedroom.

"Yeah, that's a memory I'd like to forever burn out of my brain," John said with a barely suppressed shudder. Bella nodded and mirrored her partner's disgusted expression.

"I'm happy for him though. Devon seems like an okay guy," she said with a shrug. John nodded in agreement. "Cute butt, too," she said nonchalantly as she took a drink of water. John frowned and squinted his eyes.

"He's too young for you, and gay," John said seriously.

"Just because I said he has a cute butt, doesn't mean I want to jump the dude. Besides, I like them older, remember?" Bella winked playfully at her partner, whom grinned widely.

"So about that nurse's outfit?" he said. He smiled even wider when she giggled around a mouthful of soup.

"Sorry, no nurse's outfit. I have a fireman one though!" she said with a coy smile and a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Oh really?" he asked with a look over his glasses. Bella laughed and nodded her head. John opened his mouth to ask for a description, but was cut off by a knock on the door.

Bella kicked his leg playfully under the table before shouting, "Come in!" As always, a bouncing Adaleah came barreling through the door and ran full force to the detectives.

"Bellsie, look what daddy got me!" she squealed. She held up a sparkly pink teddy bear with bright green eyes. "Her name is Maddie!" she said proudly. Bella smiled and leaned down to hug the little girl.

"She's pretty," Bella said as she petted the bear's head. Adaleah smiled and then skipped over to John. The older detective picked her up and sat her on his lap.

"Hiya Johnnie. Meet Maddie!" she squeaked. She thrust the stuffed animal in John's face. John snorted in amusement, and gently pushed it away.

"Nice to meet you, Maddie," he said. Adaleah seemed pleased with the introduction and settled further back onto his lap.

"Hey, guys," Connor said wearily. He stopped by the couch and dropped Adaleah's bags.

"Hey, how ya doing?" Bella asked. Connor walked up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm doing alright. Just the first day, and I'm already fed up with talking to lawyers and policemen!" he said, "But that doesn't matter. How are you doing?" he asked with a worried expression.

"I'm okay, now stop worrying," his sister said gently. She laid her hand over his and gave it a squeeze.

"Don't tell me to stop worrying, I'm your brother," he replied with a playful smile. Bella laughed shortly and rolled her eyes. "Well, I wish I could stay longer, but I've got to stop by the court house and pick up a few papers before they close. Come tell me bye, Lee."

Adaleah hopped down off of John's lap and ran over to her father. Connor picked her up and wrestled her into a big hug. "You be good for Aunt Bellsie, okay? Go to bed when she tells you, make sure to brush your teeth," he said.

"Yes, Daddy," she said as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Good girl. I love you," he said. Adaleah turned her head and smiled widely.

"I love you too!" she gave him a quick peck to the cheek and wiggled to get down. The little girl immediately skipped back to John and climbed onto his lap.

"Love you, sis. If it gets to be too much, call me, alright?" Connor said when he bent down to hug his sister.

"I will, love you too," she replied. Connor stood and shot John a smile.

"Make sure she gets some sleep, would ya?" he said. John returned his smile and nodded.

"Oh don't worry, I will," he said seriously. Bella rolled her eyes at the two men.

After Connor left, Bella stood and stretched. "Okay, Leah, time for a bath!" Adaleah pouted and crossed her arms.

"I don't want a bath!" she said. Bella sighed and walked towards her.

"I know, but it's almost bed time, and Auntie Bella is really tired. I promise if you take a bath and go to sleep early tonight, we'll get up and go to the park tomorrow. Deal?" she asked. Adaleah mulled it over for a moment before nodding in approval. She hopped up and turned to John, her teddy bear clutched in her outstretched hands.

"You have to take care of Maddie. Don't let her drink apple juice 'cause she's allergic. Okay?" she said seriously. John took the bear from her hands and nodded.

"Okay, I'll make sure she only drinks orange juice," he said just as seriously. Adaleah smiled and pated John on the knee.

"Come on, you," Bella said. Adaleah ran to the bathroom, stripping as she went. "For goodness sake, Lee! Don't take off your clothes in front of company!" her aunt hissed. John laughed and moved to the couch in the living room. About twenty minutes later, a pink faced, bubble-gummed smelling little girl ran up to him, clad in a snow white night gown.

"Did he drink any apple juice?" she asked with squinted eyes and her hands on her hips.

"Nope, just orange juice!" he replied. Adaleah smiled the same crooked smile her aunt had, and climbed up onto his lap. Bella walked in, her shirt soaking wet, and looking ten times more tired than she had pre-bath time.

"Okay, sweetie, bed time," she sighed. Adaleah whined and threw her arms around John's neck.

"Can Johnnie sleep over, too? He can sleep in my bed!" she said. Bella laughed and shook her head.

"He won't fit in your bed, silly goose!" she moved forwards and stopped in front of John.

"Then he can sleep in your bed!" she reasoned.

John smiled coyly and glanced up at his partner, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!" he bit his cheek to keep from laughing at the full on death glare he was receiving.

"See? Johnnie wants to stay, too," Adaleah said matter-of-factly. Bella sighed and looked to John for help.

"Hey, I'll spend the night some other day, okay?" John said. Leah pouted, but nodded her head.

"Yeah, okay. Night Johnnie, love you," she hugged him around the neck. John wrapped his arms around her small frame and smiled.

"Night, kid. I love you too," he replied. Adaleah gave him a quick kiss to the cheek, and then placed her hand in front of his ear.

"Give Bella a good night kiss," she whispered. Then, she hopped off his lap and ran to her room, cackling all the way. Bella raised her eyebrows and looked at John in confusion. John merely smiled and shrugged.

"Oooookay. Well I'm going to tuck the little lunatic into bed. Be right back," she said, still thoroughly confused. A moment later, Bella came back into the room, her eyes drooping and her mouth yawning.

"You need to go to bed," John stated. Bella nodded tiredly.

"I agree," she said as she followed John to the door.

"If you need me, come get me," he said seriously. Bella huffed and opened the door.

"I'll be fine! It's gallstones, not some sort of flesh eating disease," she teased. John breathed out a laugh and nodded. They paused then, and stared at one another in an awkward silence. "Well, good night. Guess I'll see you tomorrow?" she said. John nodded.

"Yeah, goodnight," he replied. Still not moving, he began fighting a quick internal battle. He hesitated for a moment before taking on a 'fuck it' mentality. He leaned forward slowly, causing the younger detective's breathing to stop. He placed a gentle kiss to her cheek and stood back up straight. Bella's eyes widened in shock, and her mouth formed a surprised 'O'. She laid her hand on her cheek and stared up at him with a blush creeping up her neck.

"What was that for?" she asked incredulously.

"Adaleah told me to," he said with a smirk. That caught her off guard, for she let out a laugh.

"Yeah, well, she's also told us to make a baby," Bella said with a smile.

John leaned towards her face again and said quietly, "Well, if you let me spend the night, th-"

Bella laughed and shoved John's chest until he back peddled out the door into the hallway. "Good night, Munch!" she called. John smiled and tossed up his hand in a little wave. He caught one last glimpse of her shy little smile before she closed the door.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John paced the floor in front of his bed, his brow creased in deep thought. Somehow, things had shifted drastically today. He was doomed the minute he saw her sleeping in his shirt this morning, and he knew it. Not to mention doing something as bold as kissing her on a five year old's whim. He had even surprised himself on that one.

Being with her at the hospital today made him realize just how much things had really changed. He wasn't looking after her from a partner's point of view, or even that of a best friend. He wanted to do more than be there for her as support; he wanted to take care of her. John frowned and flopped down on the edge of his bed, his feet still dangling off.

He knew what ever sort of attraction this was, wasn't one sided either. He saw each smile or blush that lit up her face when he grabbed her hand or fussed over her. Mutual attraction wasn't his concern.

His biggest question was what in the hell to do about it.

**AN: I promised you guys fluff, and well…I'm confident there's enough fluff in here to choke a stuffed flaming hot pink bunny rabbit to death…**

**1 )Been a while since I've updated! Been in and out of the hospital, so haven't been able to do as much as I wanted. Not to mention I redid this chapter FOUR times, ladies and gentlemen…FOUR.**

**2) You'll find that all of the medical details are correct. I didn't just pull them out of my ass-lol. **

**3) Do I think the relationship is progressing fast? No, I do not. For the simple facts of: They spend practically every day together, the flirting was established last chapter, and the circumstances in this chapter are made to draw two people closer together. (As sad as it is, being sick makes people closer…like me and my boyfriend, lol.)**

**4)THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! You guys are awesome, really! Each and everyone makes me write even faster. They make me so happy I squeal and do this horrible little happy dance…no lie. So, please, do keep them up, and tell me what you think! As always R&R! **


	6. High on You

**HIGH ON YOU**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own original SVU characters! **

_John paced in front of the empty hospital bed and looked at his watch again. She had been in surgery for four hours now, and hadn't heard a single word from the doctors. He sat down on the rickety bed, but immediately stood back up when Doctor Yenning came running into the room. His surgical scrubs were covered with blood, and his expression was grave._

_ "Mr. Munch, there was a complication with the surgery," he paused and shook his head, "I'm sorry." John's blood ran cold and his hands felt clammy and numb. _

_ "What do you mean? Why are you in here and not fixing whatever's wrong?" he shouted in nervous fear. The doctor frowned and shook his head once more._

_ "There's no time. If you'd like to say goodbye, you better go now," the doctor said wearily. John's mouth dropped and his hand shakily rose to run through his hair. He nodded and followed Doctor Yenning when he motioned. _

_ They quickly jogged their way down to a large set of double doors. The doctor paused and gave John a long look. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. He opened the door and John slowly walked in. The smell of antiseptic and blood filled his nostrils, making him grimace in disgust. The room was massive with cement floors and walls. In the very center of the room was a single bed surrounded by a fluorescent halo from the operating lamp above. _

_ He walked closer, his hands shaking with each step. A gasp escaped him when he got close enough to see Bella. Her beautiful, mismatched eyes were sunken in, and glazed over. Her skin was an ashy gray. The smell of death clung to her._

_ "John," she said weakly. Her voice was just a hoarse whisper. John bent down and laid a hand on the side of her face._

_ "Hey there, Twinkles," he whispered. She smiled tiredly at the nickname and turned her head slowly, as if it was a big feat. She kissed the palm of his hand and then turned her head back around to smile at him once more. John felt his throat tighten up and he was unable to do anything other than look into her eyes. Her labored breathing turned into short, slow breaths. Her eyes drifted closed._

_ "Bells?" he said softly with a cracked voice. His chest clinched painfully when the flat line rang out on the heart monitor. _

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John sat up quickly and laid a hand to his still aching chest. It took him a few panicked, sleep filled seconds to come back to reality. He grunted and reached beside him to turn off the alarm clock's insistent beeping. The detective sighed and rubbed his eyes viciously, the nightmare still making his stomach churn. Today was the morning of Bella's surgery. He hadn't felt nervous about it, until now.

He got up and dressed, still feeling slightly dazed. If there was one thing John hated, it was nightmares. He had had them his entire life, but still had problems separating them from reality. He tugged on a comfortable pair of old shoes and quickly headed across the hall. He entered her apartment silently and was immediately relieved when he saw his partner standing at the kitchen counter, making coffee and quietly humming to herself.

Her skin was still pink from her recent shower, and her eyes were alive and shining. He felt the sick vision of Bella from his dream slowly fade away. He walked up behind her, turned her swiftly around, and wrapped his arms around her. Bella squealed in surprise against his chest. John grinned when he felt her erratic heart beat against his body.

"I'm going to have to put a damn bell around your neck!" she said with an awkward little laugh. After a moment, he felt her wrap her arms lightly around his waist. "Good morning to you too," she said into his chest. She looked up at him with a concerned frown. "You okay?"

He nodded and gave her one last gentle squeeze before reluctantly letting her go. Bella looked unconvinced as she turned to grab two to-go-cups out of the cupboard. "I can tell when you're lying, ya know," she said nonchalantly.

"Nervous about today?" he asked. He took a cup from her and poured a generous amount of creamer for himself. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Nice change of topic. Very smooth. I'm a little nervous, but not much. I'll probably be worse when it actually comes time though," she said. She filled their cups and turned off the coffee pot, "But I'll be okay. Are you ready to go?" she asked. John nodded while taking a sip of coffee. Bella sighed and grabbed her jacket off of the back of her couch.

"Okay, let's get this over with," she said. John could tell she was nervous frown the way she was chewing on the inside of her cheek. She fumbled around for her keys in her purse, and huffed in annoyance when she kept coming up short. He placed a comforting hand on the curve of her back and gave her a reassuring smile. Bella relaxed somewhat and smiled back half-heartedly.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Try as he might, John could not hold still. He hated fidgeting, but it seemed that was all he could do. It had been just over an hour and a half, and he still hadn't heard anything on his partner. His dream kept running through his head, making him aggravated at himself.

He stood up and paced the small room. The always rational part of his brain knew there was nothing to worry about. The surgery was simple, as far as surgeries went. He was certain he wouldn't be so anxious if it wasn't for that damned nightmare.

His musing and self-lecturing was cut short when Doctor Yenning wheeled an unconscious Bella into the room. The doctor began hooking up a new drip into her IV. "She did just fine," Doctor Yenning said when he noticed John looking at him with a worried expression. John breathed out a sigh of relief. "The only problem we had was when we were closing her up. The antiseptic we used to clean the incisions and organ had something in it she was allergic to. It irritated the organ, but it's nothing serious. She's on a pretty heavy morphine drip though, because it's going to leave her a bit sorer than what we had originally planned. She should wake up within the next hour or two, but she'll be pretty out of it. Once she's awake we'll check up on everything, and you two should be able to go home." He took down her vital signs and moved to the door. "I'll be back in a few hours. Is there anything you need? I can get a nurse to bring you another cup of coffee."

"No thanks, I'm good," he replied. The doctor nodded, checked his beeper, and rushed out the door. John scooted the uncomfortable, plastic chair beside Bella's bed and sunk down into it. She looked perfectly fine, even peaceful. He felt himself start to relax for the first time that day. He grabbed her hand, mindful not to jar her arm, or IV. He sat back in his chair and waited. An hour and twenty minutes passed and he had slowly started to drift off. A tiny groan from in front of him made him jolt alert immediately. He looked up in time to see her eyes slowly bat there way open.

"John?" she asked in a groggy voice. He leaned forward and braced an arm on the bed.

"Hey there. How ya feeling?" he asked gently. Bella closed her eyes and hummed.

"Tingly," she said. She then smiled and giggled. John snorted. It seemed the pain killers were doing their job. She moved to sit up and grunted when a sharp pain shot through her stomach. She waited a moment and tried again. John gently placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her back down.

"You need to stay lying down," he ordered. Bella shook her head and moved to sit up once more.

"Don't care," she said.

"Okay, okay. Just give me a minute, and I'll raise your bed up, alright?" John said. He pushed her back down gently by the shoulders.

"Kay," she said happily. John looked underneath the frame and found the button. He pressed it until she was in a relatively propped up position. "Thank ye kindly," she said in an Irish accent that made him chuckle. Her hand accidently brushed against her IV, and she yelped. She scowled and started to pick at it. John quickly grabbed her hand.

"Don't do that!" he ordered. Bella looked up at him with droopy eyes. She shrugged in disinterest and leaned back against her pillow. Her eyes drifted closed and she was silent for a few minutes. John thought she had fallen asleep again, until her hand shot up towards her face. She hit her cheek lightly before letting her hand drop down heavily onto her lap. A second elapsed before she did it again, this time smashing her mouth. Her eyes opened and she let out an aggravated huff. John bit his cheek to keep from laughing.

"What ya doing there, Twinkles?" he asked. Bella lulled her head to the side. It took her eyes a minute to focus on his face.

"My nose itches, but I can't find the damn thing ta' scratch it," she slurred sleepily. Not being able to hold it back, John let out a laugh. He took his finger and scratched the tip end of her nose. Her nose twitched with every stroke, causing the older man to smile.

"Thank you, Johnnie," she sighed.

"You're welcome," he replied. She gave him a dopey little smile.

"The nurse thinks you're my boyfriend," she said suddenly with a giggle. John raised his eyebrows.

"Why does she think that?" he asked curiously.

"Cause she saw you holding my hand when we got here. She says I'm lucky to have a man that cares so much. Then she started bitchin' about her no good, two- timing husband," she said. She moved to scratch her nose again, and smiled proudly when she managed to find it.

"What did you tell her?" he asked.

"I told her you weren't my boyfriend, silly goose," she reached over and poked him gently on the nose. John smiled and laid her still hovering hand back down on her lap. "I'm not even your type!" she said with a small little sigh.

"How do you know you aren't my type?" he asked with a look over his glasses.

"Because your ex-wives were busty blondes! And I'm neither of those two things," she looked down and scowled at her chest. She hooked a finger around her hospital gown collar and pulled it outwards. A dejected sigh came from the woman as she glared down at her breasts. "Hey, do you think they can suck some of the fat out of my ass, and put it in my boobs instead?" she asked. John swallowed thickly when he got a glimpse of the top of her breasts. He quickly smacked her hand away from her collar.

"There are sixteen year olds with bigger boobs than me," she whined with a pout. Her lip began to tremble and a horrified expression plastered John's face when he realized she was about to cry. John was good at many things, but consoling a crying female wasn't one of them. In fact, he had a knack for making things worse.

"Hey, hey," he said quickly, "Your breasts are just fine, Bella. Tell me how you know what my ex-wives look like," he said to distract her. He didn't keep any pictures of them, and he couldn't remember ever describing any of them to her. His eyebrows rose when she got a sheepish look on her face.

She twirled a curl around her finger. "I was going to the captain's office, and your file was open on his desk. I saw pictures of those pretty women and the divorce details beside them. I wasn't trying to snoop, honest," she said shyly. She wrung her hands together and looked down at her lap in shame. John creased his eyebrows. He was a very private man, and knowing that she had willingly read every nasty detail about his divorces unnerved him a bit. However, the blush that crept up her cheeks and the way she nibbled on her lip made it impossible for him to be too upset.

"It's okay," he said as he grabbed her hand. She slowly turned to him with a trembling lip, and for a terrifying moment, he again thought she was going to cry.

"I didn't mean to make you mad," she said in a small, childlike voice.

"I'm not mad, honest," he reassured with a smile.

"Good!" she paused for a moment and tried to formulate her thoughts, " You remember that one day you got mad at me for letting that suspect go before you were done questioning him? I went home and cried," she said with an embarrassed, little giggle. John's mouth dropped open an inch. A twinge of guilt hit his gut as if he had been kicked.

"I made you cry?" he stammered. Bella nodded and tugged on a curl.

"Yeah, but that's okay, you were having a bad day. I just don't like making you mad is all," she said shyly.

"It doesn't matter if I was having a bad day, or not. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I'm sorry." He said sincerely. Bella grinned and reached over to pat his head.

"It's okay!" she said. John smiled softly. He made a mental note to apologize again when she was more lucid, just in case she couldn't remember the first time. A tiny knock sounded at the door. Doctor Yenning walked in, dragging a small med cart behind him.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Walker?" he asked. He moved to inspect her vital stats on the monitor.

"My tummy's sick, but I'm ok. Can I go home now? I need to feed my kitty," she said. John snorted in amusement.

"We're almost done," the doctor told her with an amused smile. He turned to John then and went into professional mode. "She's going to feel nauseas due to the morphine and the amount of carbon dioxide gas working its way out of her system where we had to inflate her abdomen for the surgery," he paused and wrote down her blood pressure.

"Everything is looking good. Before I let her go, I'm going to give her something to help with her stomach, and another small dose of a mild pain killer. It's got a sedative in it, so she'll want to sleep when you get her home," he unhooked her IV drip and pumped two different syringes into the IV. Bella watched him intently as if it was the most fascinating thing in the entire world. She didn't even flinch when he took the IV out and wrapped up her arm.

"If she wants to take a shower in the next forty-eight hours, she _cannot_ get any of the incisions wet. If she's bound and determined to shower, then she can create a plastic dressing to cover the wounds, but make absolutely sure no water can get in. She will probably need your assistance, seeing as how she won't be able to bend," Doctor Yenning paused and raised an eyebrow when Bella began to giggle. He turned his confused gaze to John, whom was scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"We're not," he trailed off. Dawning lit up on the doctor's face as the light bulb went off.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you two were together. In that case, a family member, or female friend can help. After the forty-eight hours are up, she can take the bandages and dressing off, just remind her not to let the water hit the incisions directly until sometime next week. Her diet should return back to normal, but for the next few days try to stay away from anything greasy, or spicy. Also, her throat may be a little sore in the morning due to the intubation tube from where she was put under anesthesia. If that happens, let her suck on some ice or popsicles," he walked around to the other side of the bed and handed John the clipboard.

"If you sign here, I'll hand off her pain pill scripts, and you can take her home," he said. John took the board and started signing his name beside the little x's. "If she gets a fever, make sure you bring her back in. That could be a sign of an impending infection." John nodded seriously and handed him back the clipboard.

"Alright that should do it, any questions?" John shook his head no. "As soon as she's able, have her call and set up an appointment for a checkup. If all goes well, we'll start looking into the transfusion process for her anemia." He walked to the door and leaned out around the corner into the hall. He wheeled in a wheel chair. "Take care, and if you have any question don't hesitate to call." He said.

John stood up and winced at the sharp tendril of pain that lapped at his spine. He extended his hand, "Thank you very much," he said sincerely.

"Just doing my job," he replied with a smile. He turned to Bella and lifted his hand into a wave. "Bye, Ms. Walker, hope you get to feeling better soon!" Krissabella made a small motion and closed her eyes again. The sedative was starting to take effect. As soon as the doctor walked out, a heavy set nurse walked in.

"Hello, my name is Hannah, do you need help getting her dressed and in the chair?" she asked. John nodded immediately. "Getting dressed, yes. I can handle the chair though," he answered. The nurse nodded and John quickly stepped out. After what felt like forever, the nurse came out and nodded towards the room.

"She's all yours. Poor thing can barely keep her eyes open!" she said with a sympathetic smile. John thanked the woman and entered the room again. Bella was sitting on the edge of the cot. Her head fell forwards and snapped back up quickly. She started to lean a little to the left, and John hurried to stop her from toppling over into the floor.

"Whoa there, partner. Let's get you home," he said gently. Bella smiled up at him sleepily and nodded. He pulled her up gently and laced his arm around her waist tightly when she swayed violently on her feet. She draped her arms around his neck and grunted as the room spun around her.

Once the room stopped spinning, she released her strong grip from around his neck and John was able to get her seated carefully. She was asleep before he even had time to walk around and grab the handles.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The next several hours were spent with Bella snoozing on the couch while John kept himself busy with either TV, or case files. The younger detective would occasionally wake up long enough to eat a light snack, or hold a ten minute conversation.

Time moved quicker than John had expected; it was already seven in the afternoon and the city was starting to disappear into dusk. He stretched and scratched at his elbow. A loud knock suddenly sounded at the door. John cursed under his breath when it caused his partner to stir and open her eyes. He quickly hopped out of the chair and opened the door.

"Hey, John. Think she's up for company?" Connor asked. Adaleah was hitched onto his hip, a homemade card clutched in her little hands. Devon stood behind them with flowers in one hand and get well balloons in the other.

"Sure, if she can stay awake long enough. The pain pills are really kicking her butt," John said with a smile. Adaleah squirmed out of Connors grasp and skipped, rather than ran, into the apartment. She tiptoed carefully to the other side of the couch and kneeled down next to Bella. Her aunt's eyes opened, and a sleepy smile formed on her lips.

"Hi, Lee," she said softly. Adaleah smiled and kissed her aunt on her nose.

"I made you a present!" she held out the card. 'GET BETUR SOON' was written in an orange crown on the front of the card. Bella smiled at the spelling mistake and opened the card. A tiny stick figure with curly orange hair was holding the hand of another stick figure with curly black hair and mismatched eyes. 'I LUV YOU' was written across the top. "That's me and that's you!" she said proudly as she pointed to the drawing.

"Thank you, Leah. I love it," Bella said. She reached an arm out from under the blanket and hugged the little girl. Adaleah smiled after they parted and ran back over to John at the door.

"Hi, Johnnie," she said. She threw up her hands in a gesture to pick her up. John complied and scooped her up into his arms.

"Hi kid," he said with a small smile. Adaleah wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed a gentle hug.

"Hey, Lala. How you doing?" Connor asked. He leaned over and kissed his sister on the forehead.

"Tired, but I'm alright," she paused smiled when Devon smiled shyly at her from behind Connor.

"Uh, these are for you," he said a bit awkwardly. He laid the flowers down on the coffee table and released the balloons.

"Thanks, guys," she said with a grin. She tried to sit up, but hissed when a sharp twinge ran down her side. John sat Adaleah down on the ground and walked over to her side. He gently picked up her arm, laced it over his neck, and pulled her up carefully into a sitting position. She gave him a grateful smile as he sat down next to her. He returned it and laid his hand on her knee. Connor immediately eyed the small gesture with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Okay?" John asked. Bella nodded and patted the hand on her knee.

"Yeah, but I think it's time for a dose of medicine," she said as she lightly rubbed her side. John cursed under his breath suddenly and frowned.

"I forgot to go get your prescription filled. I'll go do it real quick," he said. He moved to get up, but Connor held out a hand.

"Actually, Devon and I have to pick up a few things, we can go ahead and go get everything and get her prescription filled," he said with a shrug.

"Are you sure?" John asked.

"Yeah, no problem. Come on, Adaleah. We've got to go get Bellsie some medicine," he motioned to the little girl sitting in the floor between Bella's legs.

"Can't I just stay here?" she whined. Connor shook his head.

"Not this time. Bella can't watch you. We'll be right back, I promise," he said. Adaleah shook her head violently and climbed onto John's lap.

"Johnnie can watch me!" she said with a raised chin.

"Adaleah-"Connor started.

"It's alright, if she wants to stay. I'll watch her," John said with a shrug. Adaleah smiled up at him from his lap. Connor sighed in defeat.

"Alright, but be quiet and listen to John, okay?" he said.

"Okay!" she agreed. Connor nodded and grabbed Devon's hand.

"We'll be back in a few. Love you guys," he tossed over his shoulder. As soon as the door closed, Bella's stomach made a loud growl. She laid her hand gently on her stomach and smiled sheepishly.

"Hungry?" John asked with a smirk.

"Little bit," she admitted. Adaleah tugged on his shirt sleeve, making him look down.

"Do you know how to make chicken nuggets?" she asked. John smirked. He swore the kid could live off of chicken nuggets if you let her.

"Yep," he turned his attention to Bella, "Chicken nuggets alright?" he asked.

"Sure," she said with a shrug. Adaleah crawled down off of John's lap and ran into the kitchen, eager to help cook. John followed behind her, albeit at a much slower pace. He got the frozen nuggets out of the fridge while Adaleah scooted a chair up to the counter so she could reach.

He motioned to the buttons on the stove top and said, "Push this button until it read three hundred and twenty five," he said slowly. Adaleah nodded and sat to work while John poured out a random number of nuggets onto a baking sheet.

"What else can I do?" she asked eagerly as she hopped off of the chair. John opened the oven door and stuck the pan in.

"Nothing for now. After they finish cooking, you can help me put them on the plates, okay?" he said. Adaleah nodded and smiled. She was going through the stage where she wanted to help with anything and everything. She shoved the chair underneath the table and ran up to Bella.

"Can I sit beside you?" she asked in a quiet little voice. Bella patted the spot beside her. Adaleah smiled, climbed onto the couch, and grabbed Bella's hand. John sat on the other side of Adaleah. "You should go there to make you feel better," Adaleah said suddenly after a moment of silence. She pointed at the TV. A commercial advertising a facial at a local spa was on. Bella smirked.

"I wish," she said with a rueful smile.

"What do they do there?" Adaleah asked curiously as she watched a middle aged woman soak in a tub full of mud. Cucumbers were laid on her eyes and a content smile laced her lips.

"I'm not really sure. I've never had the money to go to a spa. It looks nice though," Bella answered with a longing sigh. John sneered at the TV.

"Don't bother. It's just another ploy that teaches you women how to waste time and money," he said with malice. Adaleah looked up at him in question.

"What?" the little girl asked in confusion. Bella scowled at John.

"Johnnie's just kidding," she said with a huff. She slowly stood up, wincing when she did so. She began walking to the bathroom, but stopped in front of John. "I know that your wives made you bitter, but believe it, or not, not all women are vain bitches," she hissed at him. John raised his eyebrows at her sudden venom and watched as she slowly mad her way to the bathroom. He stared after her with a thoughtful look on his face.

A sudden, sharp pain erupted on his arm, making him grunt and quickly turn around. He was met with the scowling face of Adaleah. She was standing on the couch, hands on her hips, and looking like a spitting image of her aunt when she was angry. "Lee?" he said quietly.

"You made her mad!" she said with a stomp of her foot. She smacked him on the arm and continued to glare. John sat there, in awe of the five year old's unexpected temper. She continued to glare down at him until she heard the toilet flush from the bathroom. Stomping, the little girl marched to the far end of the couch and plopped down.

"What are you doing?" John asked when his partner passed the couch and walked into the kitchen.

"Getting something to drink," she replied. There was an aggravated undertone in her voice. John stood up and joined her in the kitchen.

"I'll get it. You shouldn't be up," he said. Bella ignored him and grabbed a glass off of the counter. The older man sighed. "Bella, I wasn't calling you vain. I was-"

"I know. Your wives, but still. Don't spout out your woman hating garbage in front of my niece," she said seriously. She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of root beer.

"I'm sorry," John said awkwardly. It was always hard for him to swallow his pride and apologize. Bella shrugged and poured her drink. She twirled the cap back on and turned around to put it back into the fridge.

"It's your own fault, ya know," she said nonchalantly.

"What is?" John asked in confusion.

"You're bitter and jaded, but it's your own fault. Maybe if you stopped getting hung up on beautiful faces and big tits you'd find someone who actually loves you," she said matter-of-factly. She took a drink, but kept her eyes locked on his. She swallowed and gave him a tiny smile. He watched her walk back to the coach, thoroughly confused and shocked. He scowled at the sudden feeling of longing that bubbled up in his gut. Deciding not to look more into her words than he should, he joined the girls on the couch.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Knock, knock," Connor said as he entered the apartment. Bella gave a meager wave, as the soreness was starting to set in. John and Adaleah turned around from their positions at the sink. After finishing the chicken nuggets, Adaleah insisted on helping him clean the dishes. "Here ya go," he said as he sat the bottle of pain medication in front of the detective. John quickly dried his hands on a dishtowel and moved to help Bella sit back up.

"Thanks," she said to them both. She unscrewed the cap and downed a pill.

"I'd like to stay and visit more, but we've got groceries in the car, and I've still gotta get Adaleah in the shower," he said.

"That's alright. I think I'm about ready for bed too," she said with a tired yawn. Adaleah scooted in between the two and gave Bella a tiny kiss on the nose.

"Love you, Bellsie. I hope your tummy feels better," she said quietly. Bella smiled and kissed her back on cheek.

"Thanks, Squirt. I love you too."

"See you sometime later in the week. I love you, sis. Take an easy, alright?" Connor said as he kissed her cheek.

"No promises," she returned with a playful grin. Connor narrowed his eyes at her. "See ya, Devon."

"Bye, nice seeing you again," Devon replied politely. John then took his turn at wishing everyone farewells as he walked them to the door. He smiled when Adaleah waved enthusiastically at him before he shut the door. A little excited squeak made him turn swiftly around from the doorway. He smirked when he saw the beginning of the cartoon movie _The Hunchback of Notre Dame _coming on the TV. It was one of his partner's favorite movies, though she would never admit it.

"And you say _I'm _the child!" he said with a smirk. He sat down at the opposite end of the couch, laying her feet in his lap. She looked down and squinted her eyes at him.

"To be a cartoon movie, this has a lot of symbolism in it. And the plot is actually more mature than you think. A crazy old dude basically burns down all of Paris because he's got a boner," she said seriously. John laughed and nodded his head. After a moment she said, "You know, you can go home. I'm alright, I'll probably just watch this and then go to bed."

"Are you kicking me out of your house?" he teased. Bella chuckled quietly and shook her head.

"No, but you've taken care of me all day. I know you're tired. Why don't you go home and get some sleep?"

"Because I'm sleeping here tonight," he said with a shrug.

"You are not! I'll be okay, John, honest. You live right across the hall. I'll call you if I need anything," she said sternly.

"Would you actually call me if you needed something?" he said with an accusing look over his glasses.

"Scout's honor," she said with a little solute.

"You weren't a scout," he said with an amused grin. Bella returned it and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I promise. Now shut up, you're making me miss the movie," she teased. She giggled when he squeezed one of her toes gently. For the next hour, John watched in quiet amusement as his partner fought to keep her eyelids open. By the time the ending song was playing, she was fast asleep. He carefully slipped out from under her feet and moved to gently shake her shoulder.

"Hey, Bells," he said softly. She opened her eyes long enough to blink twice, and then fell right back asleep. It appeared he had very little hopes of getting his doped up partner off that couch. Knowing his back was going to hate him for it later, he peeled the blanket back and scooped her up in his arms, mindful to keep her stomach straight as possible.

She stirred slightly and looked up at him. "I can walk," she slurred tiredly.

"I know, but I rather carry you," John said with a smile. Bella smiled back sleepily and laid her head back down on his shoulder. Ignoring the protesting sharp pain in his back, he balanced his partner with one arm, and turned down her bed with the other. A relieved sigh passed through his lips when he finally got the sheets folded back. He laid her down gently and covered her up.

Her arms shot around his neck when he moved to stand back up. He peered curiously as Krissabella smiled shyly up at him. Slowly, she leaned up and left a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek. That same longing feeling deep in his gut from earlier returned, but grew to be ten times stronger. It was enough to take his breath away. He stared down at her in shock while she smiled up at him with that little, shy smile of hers.

"Did Adaleah tell you to give me a goodnight kiss?" he teased when he had finally found his voice. Bella giggled and shook her head.

"No, I just wanted to. Thanks for taking care of me," she said quietly. Her hands slid off his neck and landed beside her as sleep started to overtake her once more.

"You don't have to thank me for that. Remember, if you need me, call me. Goodnight, Twinkles," he said softly. Bella nodded as her eyes closed all the way.

"Night, John," she said mumbled. John stared down at her fondly for a moment more before quietly letting himself out of the apartment, being sure to grab the spare key so he could get back in in the next morning.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John cursed under his breath at the light shining through his bedroom window into his eyes. He had barely gotten any sleep between his aching back and his over active mind. His brain was clouded with Bella, and it was really starting to aggravate him. He had always prided himself on having a sharp mind and having the ability to come to quick discussions. The petite woman had done nothing but confuse him from day one. He racked his brain, trying to come up with what it was about her that drove him out of his mind.

All she had to do was bat those mismatched eyes or flash those dimples and he was putty in her hands, and she knew it too. However, unlike his wives, she didn't abuse that power. Besides, he knew she was wrapped around his pinky finger just like he was hers. She had gone out of her way to make him happy on more than one occasion. He had never had that before; his past relationships had always felt one sided.

John sighed and slowly began getting dressed. A frown tugged at his lips and his brow creased. He wanted more, but he was loath to admit that he was too chicken shit to make a move. His track record obviously hadn't been that great, and Bella was right; he was jaded. He sure as hell didn't want to screw up their friendship like he had with his wives. The thought of Bella getting angry with him to the extent that she'd ignore his presence like all the other women in his life had given him a sudden, hallow feeling in his stomach.

A headache started to form in his temples, making him rub at his head viciously. He had come to the conclusion he would let his partner decide. He had always rushed headfirst into every relationship he had ever been in. He was always the one doing the chasing, so maybe now it was time to let someone else chase him for a change.

He sighed when he felt a small weight lift off his shoulders. He may not have it completely worked out, but at least he had something that resembled a plan. Grabbing the spare key off of his bedside table, he walked across the hall to Bella's door. He was mildly surprised to find it already unlocked. He figured she'd sleep in. He twisted the knob and frowned when he found his partner making coffee in the kitchen.

"What part of call me if you need something do you not understand?" John asked from behind her. She jumped slightly and laid a hand over her heart.

"Okay, all jokes aside, I'm buying you a fucking bell to put around your neck," she hissed at him. He was taken aback slightly by her usage of such harsh language so early in the morning. He could tell by the way she caressed her side that she was sore.

"I'll be sure to remember not to sneak up on you in the future. Why don't you go sit down and let me do this?"

"It's just coffee. I can handle it."

"I'm sure you can, but the doctor says you shouldn't move around anymore than you have to for forty-eight hours after your surgery."

"For the love of God Munch, I'm making coffee, not running laps," she said grumpily.

"You know, you really are a disagreeable little wench when you haven't had your coffee," he sighed.

"Then leave," she snapped. Her lips formed into that familiar pout he had come to adore when he pushed her buttons too much. He grabbed her wrist and took the coffee pot out of her hand. His hand slid down and grasped hers. Just like that, her scowl disappeared when his thumb ran lightly over her knuckles. The almost inaudible sigh of contentment that slipped through her lips was not lost to him.

"Sit," he instructed. Bella rolled her eyes, but did as she was told. "How's your side feeling?"

"Sore," she said with a grunt.

"Have you taken a pill?"

"No, I figured I'd eat first so it didn't upset my stomach. I'm going to try taking half a pill today, so I don't feel like such a zombie all day," she yawned and closed her eyes.

"That's too bad. I was hoping if you got loopy enough you'd give me another kiss," he teased. He turned in time to see her ducking her head down to the table in an attempt to hide her red face and smile. He grinned and tapped lightly on her head. She lifted her head enough so just her blue eye was visible. He grinned even wider and asked, "Want some breakfast?"

"Pancakes," she said as she lifted her head. He nodded and opened the fridge to find the ingredients. "With strawberries, and whipped cream," she added.

"I've never cooked strawberry pancakes before. Do I put the strawberries in the batter, or put them in after one side has cooked for a little while?"

"Who said I wanted them for the pancakes?" she whispered huskily into his ear. John paused and felt his body stiffen. He hadn't even heard her get up from the chair. He turned his head slightly to look at her from over his shoulder.

"I want them on the side!" she said with a teasing grin. She erupted into giggles as he huffed and frowned at her.

"Am I going to have to glue your ass to the chair to get you to sit still?" he asked grumpily. Bella grabbed a small, unwashed strawberry from the container and popped it into her mouth.

"Possibly," she said around a mouthful of berry. John snorted and turned her around by the shoulders and gave her a small push towards the table.

"Sit!" he ordered. Bella huffed and stood rooted to the spot on the floor.

"I'm not a dog, John," she said with a pout.

"Aw, why not? It could be fun. Whenever you're a bad girl I could spank you," he grinned when her mouth dropped and her face lit up with a blush.

"Pervert!" she squeaked.

"You started it, Missus Berries and Cream," he said with an accusing point of the mixing spoon. She scrunched up her nose at him and finally took a seat. It was silent while he finished her breakfast. He sat a vast stack of pancakes in front of her, with the strawberries and cream on the side.

"That's a lot of pancakes!" she said as she eyed the tall stack.

"Eat what you can," John said with a shrug. He sat down in front of her and began tucking into his own pile. Bella sneered as she watched him eat.

"How do you eat pancakes without syrup?" she asked in disgust while drenching hers with the amber liquid.

"Like this," he said as he took a humongous bite. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Smart ass," she said under her breath. John grinned and stole a berry off of her plate. Her eyes flickered from his mouth down and across the stubble on jaw line. She had always had a thing for morning stubble.

"Better to be a smart ass, than a lard ass," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bella tossed a strawberry at his face.

"If my lard ass is so obscene, maybe I should stop wearing yoga pants all the time?" she said with a frown as she bit into a pancake. John immediately shook his head in disagreement. Yoga pants were his favorite articles of clothing that she owned, and she knew it too. He knew that she was more than aware that his eyes were always glued to her ass the entire time she was in a pair of them.

"Let's not get hasty, now," John said quickly. He watched as Bella grinned triumphantly and began licking the whipped cream off of a strawberry. Her lips formed into a smirk as she watched John's eyes follow every flick of her tongue.

"Why not?" she asked with a coy smile. John raised an eyebrow and grinned. Bella chuckled as she bit into her pancake. After a few minutes of silence, a brooding look passed over the younger detective's face. "So, I've been thinking," she started.

"About?"

"My mom. I think I want to find her," she said as she pushed her nearly empty plate away. He was pleased to see that her appetite was back. "I basically just want to know if she's even alive," she added quietly. John stood up to put their plates into the sink.

"Do you have any idea where to start?" he asked as he helped her up from her chair. He knew she was capable of getting up herself, but it was nice to have an excuse to wrap his arm around her waist.

"Not really," she admitted as they both sat down on the couch. Her pinky brushed up against his hand as a silent invitation.

"Have you tried searching her in the data base? Her current residence should pop up," he laced his pinky around hers slowly.

"Yeah, but it's the address where she used to live. Apparently, where ever she is, she isn't there legally," she said with a sigh.

"What city was she last in?"

"Somewhere upstate in Pennsylvania."

"Alright, so how about one weekend we take a trip down to Pennsylvania and see if we can track her down?" he said with a shrug. She looked up at him sharply with a surprised expression.

"You mean you'll help me find her?"

"Why not? You'd do the same for me, right?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah," she said with a return grin. She moved her hand under his and lightly intertwined her fingers with his. "Didn't you say you had an uncle and cousin out there somewhere?"

"Somewhere, yeah. I'm not really interested in finding them though. We all aren't exactly close."

"Well, what about your father?" she asked. John immediately tensed up, which made Krissabella frown. The subject of his father was taboo. It wasn't something John liked to think about, let alone talk about. It was a secret kept well hidden within the Munch family. He hadn't even confided in his ex-wives about it. "John?" her voice was small and full of question. He looked down at her with a calculating expression.

"I uh," he trailed off. "My father killed himself," he said all of a sudden. The quiet words just seemed to slip from his mouth against his will. A horrified look passed over Bella's face, making John quickly look away.

"Oh my God," she stuttered after she found her voice. John rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. The words were out there, and there were no taking them back. Alarming as that was, the way her thumb rubbed over his knuckles had an immediate, calming effect on him.

"My father suffered from a severe case Bipolarism. When he got angry, he usually took it out on my brother and I," the words were just word vomit at this point. Knowing he had no control over it at this point, he let her caring eyes and gentle stroking of her fingers coax the words out of him.

"You mean he?" she asked quietly; she wasn't able to say the word 'abused' without choking on it. John nodded and looked at their joined hands. His father had been the hit now-ask questions later type.

"One night he just got done punishing me for 'being a wise ass'. I told him that I hated his guts then went to bed. The gunshot woke us all up," he said in almost a whisper. The vulnerability and self-loathing that riddled his face made the young girl's heart clench tightly. Ignoring the little twinges of pain in her stomach, Bella turned her body to face him and drew him down into her arms. The older man leaned into her softly, unsure how to react. He had been hugged a million times, sure. However, he couldn't remember being embraced for the sheer purpose of comfort since Bolander's death.

"You're going to hurt yourself," he said after he noticed the way she was bent over. She said nothing, but squeezed her arms gently around him before letting them slip down to wrap around his arm and hug it to her chest.

"I know it doesn't mean much, but I'm really sorry, John," she said quietly. He wrapped his hand over one of hers that was laced around his arm.

"I just wish I could take back what I said, or wouldn't have been such a little punk all the time. He was hurting that much and I didn't do anything at all to help him," he admitted.

"There wasn't anything you could have done. You were just a kid," she said with a tiny shake of her head.

"Yeah I know," he agreed. He released a long, drawn out breath. "I talked to my cousin about seven years ago, and he said that my uncle is getting worse in his old age. Bi-polar is genetic. Which means I'll probably wake up one day and find that I'm no longer the life of the party," he said with a dry laugh. Krissabella frowned. After months of working together, she knew that he hid his fears and insecurities behind his morbid sense of humor.

"You don't know that," she said seriously, "Besides, there's medication for that."

"Have you ever seen what that kind of stuff does? My dad tried it for about a month and turned into a lifeless shell."

"Yes, but medicine has come a long way since then," she said gently. "You're worrying for nothing. There's no guarantee that you'll end up like them."

"And if I do?"

"Then we'll deal with it," she said simply with a shrug.

"We?" he asked with a little smile and look over his glasses.

"Yes, _we_. We're partners for better, or worst, right?" she said with a grin. John laughed a genuine laugh and nodded.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have the best track record for staying true to those vows," he said with raised eyebrows.

"Actually, it was your wives that didn't hold up to them," she pointed out.

"You can say that again," he said with a hint of bitterness.

"Better luck next time, right?" she said with a smirk. John immediately shook his head.

"There isn't going to be a next time. I'm through with marriage," he said seriously. Bella frowned and looked up at him.

"That's stupid."

Her response surprised him somewhat. "No, what's stupid is going through the expense of having a wedding, and then going through the expense of a divorce a couple of years later."

"Not all weddings end in divorce, ya know," she said matter-of-factly.

"Mine do."

"Because you look for beauty, not loyalty."

John sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes. "Yes, you've made that clear," he said with an annoyed sigh. Bella scowled and pouted.

"Don't get huffy!" she said as she released his arm and moved to stand up. His hand shot out to grab her arm and pull her back down gently.

"I'm not huffy," he said calmly. Bella settled back down against the back of the couch and lessened her pout to a mild scowl. He rubbed his thumb in a circle over her wrist and relaxed when he saw her lips twitch as they fought off a smile.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"What the fuck!" Bella bellowed as she threw down her cards. It was getting late, and a mildly doped up Bella and a tired John had been playing poker for two hours straight. "How do you keep winning? You're cheating, aren't you!" she accused.

"No, you just seriously suck," John said with a shake of his head. Bella stuck her lip out and crinkled her nose.

"You're an ass," she hissed as he started to shuffle the cards.

"No, you're just a sore loser," he smirked when she kicked at him from underneath the kitchen table. "What do you say we make this game a little more interesting?" he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's play strip poker!" he said with a teasing grin. Bella squinted her eyes at him and shook her head.

"No way. You've won almost every single game for the past two hours!"

"Chicken," he accused. He began dealing out the newly shuffled cards.

"No, I'm not. You're just a dirty old man that wants to see me naked," she said with a smirk.

"I'm not old," John said with a pout. He sneered at the cards in his hand: a measly two-pair. He threw down the rest of his cards and hoped to pick up something better. Another sneer fell on his lips when he once again got nothing of use.

"Of course you aren't," Krissabella said in a patronizing tone. John frowned and tossed a peanut in her direction. She smacked it before it could hit her face and grinned widely as she slammed her cards down on the table. "Three of a kind!"

"Well, you finally beat me," John said as he threw his two-pair down. The younger detective threw her fists in the air and made a 'woop' noise.

John stifled a yawn and stretched his legs out. "On that note, I should probably let you get some sleep. It's going on midnight." He stood and moved to help his partner up.

"Yeah, I should probably try to sleep. I can shower tomorrow, right?" she asked hopefully. She was the type of person that woke up and went straight into the shower in the mornings. Not being able to do so today had made her skin almost crawl.

"Yeah, you just can't get the incisions wet. I'd still wrap them up to be sure," he answered as they moved closer to the door. A mischievous grin plastered his face and he stopped walking to face her. "Ya know," he started quietly, "The doctor said you'd probably need help since you can't bend over. If you want, I could always-"

"Nice try, Munch," Bella cut him off before he could finish. His smile widened when he saw the shy, puckered smile that she always had when he teased, or embarrassed her.

"It could be fun," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bella laughed and pushed him towards the door.

"Get out of my house, John," she said with a chuckle. John grasped the door frame in his hands to stop himself from getting thrown out.

"You mean I don't get a good night kiss?" he said with a pout. Bella huffed and stomped her foot.

"No! Now get out!" she hissed. A rosy blush was creeping up her neck and making its way to her cheeks.

"Why not?" he asked as he stalked closer. Bella took a tiny step back and held out her hands in a "stop" motion.

"If you don't get out of my house, I'm shoving my foot up your ass," she said seriously. John sighed over dramatically and dropped his head.

"Fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted," he pivoted on his heel and walked across the hall to his room without saying another word. His hand was on the doorknob when he felt her slender hand wrap around the crook of his arm and turn him around. He breathed in sharply when he felt her lips on the corner of his mouth. The kiss was quick, only about two seconds, but it felt longer to the aged detective.

"Goodnight, John," she said quietly, her face redder than a tomato. She didn't meet his eyes as she turned and all but ran back into her apartment. The man stood there in the hallway, his hand still lightly braced on the doorknob. An unconscious smile broke out on his lips at his partner's childlike demeanor. She was too shy to look him in the eye, or even wait for him to say goodnight.

Sighing happily, the detective entered his apartment with his partner still fresh on his mind.

**AN: 1) I actually managed to post a chapter quicker than I usually do! Though, this chapter is a bit shorter than what I would have liked. This is meant to be purely a fluff chapter, considering that's what you guys have been asking for! **

**2) Do I think John is being too flirtatious? LOL. NO. I'm sure you guys are familiar with how much of a womanizer John is(Or thinks he is). That man knows how to flirt, and it's usually done in an upfront, almost obnoxious way. It's rather cute, really…**

**3) Is their relationship moving fast? Once again, no! I've established where they stand in the previous chapter with that first little kiss, and now things are progressing!**

**4) Again, you'll find that the medical mumbo jumbo is all correct. And writing a doped up Bella was positively a joy. **

**5) Still in and out of the hospital, so I'm not being able to type as fast, or as much as I want. Sorry about that guys :/**

**6)THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS! They make my life a happy place, really. Your guys' criticism is helping me so much with this story, and I cannot even begin to articulate how grateful I am for it. Please R&R!**


	7. Tease

**TEASE**

**Disclaimer: I do not own original characters. **

"How are you doing, Ms. Walker?" Doctor Yenning asked. It had been a week and a half since the surgery, and the two detectives were once again at the hospital.

"Almost healed up," she said with a smile. The doctor nodded and slipped on a pair of latex gloves.

"Mind if I take a look?" he asked. Bella shrugged and lifted her shirt up. John's eyes darted to her back in surprise. There was an elaborate tattoo of a tree on her back. The trunk was twisted and was so detailed that you could see every piece of bark. The bare limbs stretched up her back and disappeared underneath her shirt.

"Your incisions are almost healed, and it doesn't look like they will leave any scars," the doctor commented as he gently rubbed is fingers over the healing marks. John got one last glimpse of the newly discovered tattoo before she pulled down her shirt. "Are you having any more abominable pain?"

"Nope, none at all," she answered.

"Excellent," he paused and wrote down something in her chart. "How about your anemia? Have you noticed any changes in your energy level?"

"It's about the same. I have a little more energy since the surgery, but not much."

"Do you still want to go through with the transfusion?"

Bella looked over at John in question. John nodded and said, "Yeah. When do we start?"

"I'm going to need you to fill out some papers and give us a blood sample. If everything checks out, then we'll go ahead with the transfusion," the doctor explained. He stood and handed John a clipboard that had a thick stack of papers clipped onto it. "Go ahead and fill these out. When you're done, take them to the nurse's station right outside. She'll then take a sample of your blood. If we get the okay from the lab, I'll call you both back here tomorrow to begin the transfusion."

"If you have any questions, the nurse will be more than happy to help you out. I'd help you myself, but I'm due in the O.R. in about five minutes," he quickly glanced down at his watch to emphasize his point.

"Of course. Thank you, Doctor," Bella said. The doctor nodded distantly and then rushed out the door. Bella looked over at her partner and smirked when she caught him glaring down at the paperwork.

"Give me," she said with an eye roll. John grinned in appreciation and quickly handed the papers over to his partner.

"That was a nice tattoo you got there," John said nonchalantly as Bella began checking off boxes on the paper.

"Thanks," she said distractingly.

"Why a tree?" he asked.

"It symbolizes a lot of things."

"Like what?" he urged when she didn't elaborate further.

"Trees symbolize strength, knowledge, wisdom, forgiveness, and salvation. Plus there are four leaves at the top for my mom, dad, Connor, and Lee. If I ever get married and have kids, then I'll add my husband and kids."

"What happens if you get a divorce?"

"I won't," she said seriously. John raised his eyebrows.

"You don't know that."

"I was raised in an old school Irish home, John. Even though I'm not religious, I still don't believe in divorce. If I love a man enough to marry him, then I'll love him enough to work through our problems."

"Gee, if only my wives believed in that philosophy," he said with malice. Bella rolled her eyes heavenward. She hated when he brought up his exes.

"Then you'd be stuck in a one sided marriage with a pampered snob," she said seriously. John snorted. She smirked suddenly down at the paper and asked, "In the last twelve months, have you had sexual contact with a prostitute, or anyone else who takes money, drugs, or any other payments for sex?"

John looked at her from over his glasses, causing the younger woman to giggle. "I'll take that as a no. Have you been treated for syphilis or gonorrhea in the past twelve months?" Her smile widened when John scowled at her.

"Any question asking about my sex life in the last twelve months is an automatic no, considering I haven't had a sex life since I moved here," he said grumpily. Bella smirked and continued checking 'no' in the boxes.

"I feel your pain," she said with a sigh.

"Well if you'd let me stay the night, we wouldn't have anything to complain about, would we?" he asked with a coy smile. Bella swatted at him, but he easily caught her hand. He placed a tiny kiss to the top of it, reveling at how her silky skin felt against his lips before he let it go. Bella smiled to herself and went back to filling out paperwork. Ever since the night she kissed him in the hallway, they both were starting to get more comfortable with each other. Every day was filled with lingering touches and quick, stolen kisses on the cheek. They were stuck in that awkward stage where neither knew exactly what to do.

The two made casual talk over the next course of twenty minutes while Bella filled out the vast stack of questionnaires. "Okay, you just need to sign on all of these dotted lines and we're done," she handed over the clipboard. She shook her head as John scribbled down his name. His handwriting was worse than a toddler's.

John stood and helped Bella back into her jacket. She gave him a gracious smile that immediately made him smile back. He placed his hand on the small of her back and smiled wider when he felt her lean into him. They walked out of the quiet room and into the busy hallway to the nurse's station. "Can I help you?" a blonde, busty nurse asked. Bella frowned when she saw John perk up out of the corner of his eye.

"I need to have some blood taken," John said with a smile as he held up the clip board.

"Ah, you're the one Doctor Yenning was talking about. Follow me, and we'll get you set up," the nurse said as she flashed her pearly white teeth. Bella frown increased when she walked around the desk to reveal a tight set of scrubs that stretched over her breasts and thighs.

"You aren't afraid of needles, are you?" she teased. Bella swallowed hard in disappointment when she felt John's hand abandon her back as he quickly walked faster to catch pace with the nurse.

"Terrified," he joked. Bella trailed behind, chewing on her lip in thought. The little green monster inside was beginning to gnaw at her gut.

"Well, don't worry. I'm good at what I do. I promise I'll be gentle!" she flipped her straight, blond locks over her shoulder and opened a door that said _phlebotomy_ on it. She motioned John to a large chair and a stool off to the side for Bella. She snapped on some latex gloves and gently grabbed John's hand to outstretch his arm.

"Have you taken any Aspirin, or pain medication today?" she asked. She rolled up his sleeve and began thumbing around on his arm to find a suitable vein.

"Nope," John answered. The nurse grabbed a latex band and tied it tightly around the upper portion of his arm to get a better view of his veins.

"Have you eaten?" she turned and opened an alcohol cleansing wipe.

"Yeah, I ate breakfast," John said distractingly as she laid the cool pad down on his arm.

"Good, that means you won't pass out on me!" she teased with another wide grin. John smiled back and glanced over at Bella. He frowned when he saw her looking down at the floor and biting her lip.

"That's alright. I'm sure if I pass out, my partner here can carry me home," he said in a light tone. Bella looked up and gave him a tiny smile before immediately looking away. The nurse laughed a little awkwardly, sensing the new tension in the air.

"Okay, you're going to feel a little stick," the busty woman said. John held his breath until after the needle had gone in. He watched in mild fascination as she attached the test tube and watched his blood rush into the glass beaker.

The beaker was filled in less than a minute. The nurse capped the now filled tube, and extracted the needle from his arm. "What color gauze do you want?" she asked as she held up a pink roll and a standard white roll. She tilted her head towards the pink roll and smiled. "I recommend this one!"

John laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, but I've got a big, bad detective image to keep up. White, please."

"Oh, you're a detective?" she asked in surprise as she started to wind the gauze around John's arm. "That's really cool. Sounds much more exciting than being a phlebotomist."

"It's not as great as it's cracked up to be," John replied. The nurse tore the gauze and gave his arm an experimental bend.

"You're just being modest," she all but cooed, "How does that feel? Too tight?" John bent his arm again and shook his head.

"No, it's fine," he slowly stood up and pulled his shirt sleeve down.

"Good deal. You guys are all set!" she said happily. Bella stood and walked backwards to the door, eager to get out of the beautiful young woman's presence. She mentally chastised herself for brooding over her insecurities. So what if John wanted to flirt with a busty blonde? That was his type, after all. She sneered when that thought made her chest ache slightly.

"Thank you," John said as he quickly put his coat on and followed his partner out the door.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked once he had managed to catch up. She turned and gave him a smile that didn't quiet reach her eyes.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? Are you alright, not dizzy or anything?" she asked, suddenly looking concerned.

"I'm fine. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.

"I'm okay, really," she said as she turned to face frontwards again. John grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"You're lying," he accused quietly. Bella scowled at him.

"No, I'm not. Can we get out of here now?" she snapped. John frowned and released her hand. The trek out of the hospital was spent in a tense silence. Bella sighed when they finally made it back to the parking lot. The weather had warmed slightly, but the light breeze felt cold against exposed skin. "Want to go get something to eat?" she asked pleasantly, though he could tell something was still under her skin.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. He hesitantly moved closer and took her hand in his. He was partially discouraged at the amount of time it took for her to grasp his back. "I'm sorry," said quietly. Bella looked up at him in shock and with raised eyebrows.

"Why in the world are you sorry?" she asked. John opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. That was a good question, one that he didn't necessarily have the answer to.

"I made you mad," he said simply. Bella snorted and turned her attention frontwards.

"You didn't make me mad, John," she said with a shake of her head. The older man chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought, trying to remember exactly what happened in the minutes prior to getting his blood taken.

"It was the nurse, wasn't it?" he asked all of a sudden when the realization had come to him. His eyes narrowed when her hand stiffened in his hand.

"What?" she asked, trying to act confused.

"I'm sorry if I came off too strong. I was really just trying to make conversation. I-"

"Whoa, what are you talking about?" Bella said with a panic stricken look.

"I wasn't flirting, I was-"

"John, stop. You don't owe me an explanation. We're partners, not lovers," she said simply. John paused and looked down at her with a serious expression.

"Then why are you holding my hand?" he asked quietly. Bella frowned, yanked her hand away and started walking in the direction of the curb to call for a taxi.

"I'm not. You're the one that grabbed mine!" she tossed over her shoulder. John took a large step forward and grabbed her hand again. A wave of relief passed over him when she held his back tightly. He looked down at her reddened face and grinned.

"This is fucking crazy," she said through gritted teeth. John's grin widened, because in that very moment, he knew that she was just as confused as he was.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"I just realized something. We can't do the transfusion tomorrow!" Bella said all of a sudden. After grabbing a quick lunch at a local diner, the two were walking leisurely hand in hand back to the apartments.

"Why's that?"

"It's your birthday!" she exclaimed. John snorted.

"And?"

"What do you mean, 'and'? You can't get blood taken on your birthday!"

"I wasn't aware that was a medical rule," he grunted when she poked him sharply between two ribs.

"Let's wait until Monday, after work?" she said, still mildly glaring at him from his previous joke.

"That's three whole days away. We're doing it tomorrow morning," John said seriously.

"There's no harm in waiting!"

"Yes there is. Every day you don't get a transfusion means the worse you get."

"But-"

"We're going tomorrow, Bella," his tone of voice left no room for argument, which made the younger detective sigh loudly and pout.

"Fine," she snapped.

"Consider it a birthday present," John said in hope to cheer her up. She looked over at him with a sarcastic expression.

"Yes, because getting pricked with a needle is such an amazing gift," she said with an eye roll.

"Well if you feel that bad about it, you can make it up to me by giving me a lap dance afterwards," he said with a teasing grin.

"Okay," Bella said without a hint of humor. John's eyebrows rose as he looked down at her with a slack jawed expression.

"I was joking," he said incredulously.

"I wasn't," she said with a shrug. He continued to stare down at her with his mouth still parted in surprise. She giggled and placed a finger underneath his chin to shut his mouth.

"Close your mouth, I was kidding!" she giggled harder when he narrowed his eyes at her and pinched the ticklish spot on her side. He laced his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him gently. His hip fit perfectly in the curve of her side. She in turn slipped her arm under his coat wrapped her arm around his waist. The way her fingertips lightly caressed over his hip sent a small shiver of pleasure up his spine.

"What time is Connor dropping off Adaleah?" John asked. He got no answer as Bella stopped suddenly and gawked up at a display window of a fashion boutique. Her eyes were transfixed on an elegant sapphire colored gown. It was made from a luxurious silk and had lace trimming around the top of corset styled bodice. It was floor length, with lace trimming throughout the skirt.

The woman cringed when she read the price tag of $475. A small sigh of longing slipped from her lips as she forced herself to turn away. "Why don't you get it? You never splurge on anything," John said as he nudged her with his arm.

"Splurging is spending twenty dollars on junk food, not buying a four hundred and seventy-five dollar dress that I'll never wear. I'm too fat to fit into it anyway," she said as they resumed walking. John looked down at her with disbelief.

"Did you really just call yourself fat?" he asked with a frown. What was it with women obsessing with their weight?

"No, I'm just saying the dress is a size 2, I'm a size 4."

"If you were any skinnier, you'd disappear," he said with a shake of his head.

"Says the walking, talking skeleton!" she smirked at John's glare. "Actually, this is the biggest I've ever been in my entire life. Back when I used teach ballet and preform, I was a size 2."

John glanced down at her body and frowned. She looked amazing as a size 4-still petite, but filled out in all of the right places. He couldn't imagine her any skinnier without a rather unhealthy image filling his mind's eye.

"That sounds unhealthy," he said thinking out loud. Bella chuckled dryly and nodded.

"It was," she agreed.

"Then why do that to yourself?" John asked in surprise. It was odd to think that his normally self-sufficient and semi-health conscious partner would willingly do herself harm by not eating.

"Ballet is actually a cut throat business. You don't get the star role to _The Nutcracker _if you have love handles," she said with a shrug.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" he sneered.

"It was pretty ridiculous, but what could I do? I had to pay for college, not to mention take care of a growing teenage boy!"

"Connor?"

"Yeah, as soon as I turned eighteen I got guardianship over him. I taught and danced in shows until I got sick. I wasn't eating enough to get all the vitamins my body needed, which made my anemia worse. By then Connor was old enough to get an after school job to help out, so I was able to get a regular job."

John's hand slid from her shoulders down to around her waist. His fingers stroked over her waist, making her sigh. "Well I'm glad you don't do that anymore. I like you as a size 4," he craned his head down to kiss her temple. A small blush spread across her cheeks and a shy smile twisted on her lips.

"Would you believe me if I told you I wasn't always this boney?" John said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bella giggled and shook her head.

"Probably not."

"I actually used to be pretty toned. Not anything like Stabler, but I was once a beef cake back in the army," he said proudly. Bella laughed harder and shook her head in disbelief.

"I don't believe you!"

"It's true. I used to have some lean muscle to what you affectionately call my boney ass," he said with a look over his glasses. "Then after I got kicked out of the army I went back home to help my mom pay the bills."

Bella got quiet then, giving her partner her full attention. Stories about his childhood were rare. Whenever he felt like sharing, she was always eager to listen. "I worked on a docking port filleting fish for a guy named Olive for a few years while I went through the academy up in Baltimore. After I graduated from the academy I worked as a traffic cop and married wife number one. Ironically, I didn't turn back into twig until after I became a cop." Bella snorted as they climbed the steps into the apartment building.

"Well my offer still stands, if you ever want to come dance with Lee and me. I guarantee you'll get in shape!" she said with a crooked smile. John made a _pft_ sound as they stepped into the elevator.

"Absolutely not," he shook his head and pressed the button.

"Awh, why not?" she pouted playfully and rubbed her thumb around the jut of his hip bone in a slow circle. He hummed quietly in contentment and pulled her closer to his side.

"You're the one that wears the tights in this partnership," he smiled when that made her laugh. He tugged gently on her waist when the metallic doors opened. They walked leisurely down the hall to Bella's apartment.

"Adaleah should be here in about an hour. What do you want for supper?" she asked as she shrugged out of her jacket. Tanks meowed and hopped up into his master's waiting arms. She cooed incoherent words at the Feline and butted her head gently against his.

"Food," he said with a teasing grin. Bella scowled and kicked at him.

"Well if you don't have a preference, I'm making pork tenderloin," she said as she dropped Tank to the floor. As he always did, John followed Bella eagerly into the kitchen to watch her work.

"How do you fix yours?" he asked curiously. Growing up in a home that was tight on money, his mother often made a tenderloin dish. It had been one of his favorite things growing up.

"With a dry rub. I pan sear it on both sides then pan roast it in the oven with some red wine. Is that alright?" John nodded and moved to heft the three pounds of meat from the fridge.

"Sounds delicious," he said with double meaning. He ghosted a touch to her hip and walked behind her. Bella smirked and swatted his hand away from her side. He laughed quietly and took a seat at the kitchen table. The two partners fell easily into their nightly routine of playful banter while Bella cooked and John assisted when asked.

Bella sighed in relief when she placed the now seared meat into the oven. She reached to put the bottle of wine up, but John snuck up behind her and laid his hand over hers to stop her. "What's the hurry?" he said as he slipped the bottle out of her grasp and into his. He opened the cupboard and found two stem glasses.

"Adaleah will be here any minute," Bella said hesitantly. She tried not to drink around her niece.

"One glass won't hurt," he reassured. He handed her an almost halfway full goblet and poured himself a small amount as well. They clinked glasses together and both took deep gulps of the smooth liquid. Bella sighed in ecstasy. There was nothing she loved more than a good glass of wine.

"Did you ever figure out what you want for your birthday?" she asked as she took another drink.

"You mean besides the lap dance?" he questioned. Bella giggled into her drink and shook her head.

"Besides the lap dance," she agreed. John pondered the question over as he took his last gulp of wine. Bella polished hers of as well and placed both of their glasses in the sink. She jumped slightly when she felt John behind her.

"A kiss would be nice," he said lowly into her ear. Bella chuckled and turned around slowly to face him.

"Okay, let me rephrase the question. Is there anything you want that _doesn't _require me touching you in any way?" she asked with a tiny, shy smile. Her smile faded into a look of curiosity as John took another step closer and placed his hands to the middle of her back.

"Where's the fun in that?" he teased quietly. Bella's eyes widened when his face moved closer to hers. He felt her chest rise and fall a bit faster against his when his head dipped even lower. Her lips parted slightly and her warm breath spilled against his lips. He watched as her mismatched eyes drifted closed. His lips brushed against hers lightly before Bella shoved him backwards roughly.

"Bellsie!" Adaleah squealed as she barreled through the front door.

"Hey there," she said rather hoarsely. She cleared her throat and laid a hand to her flushed face. Connor shot the detectives a speculating look as he dropped Adaleah's overnight bag on the floor.

"What's up?" Connor asked, giving Bella a questioning look.

"Making dinner. Do you want to stay and eat with us?"

"Thanks for the offer, but Devon and I are having a date night," he said with a grin. Bella sighed longingly.

"Young love," she said under her breath. Connor laughed quietly and placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I hear old people find love too," he teased. Bella pouted and shrugged his arm off of her. Connor grunted when she grabbed his ear and twisted it downwards.

"What the hell did you just call me?" she demanded.

"I was just kidding, you aren't old!" he said in a whine. John found it highly amusing to watch Connor, being well over six feet tall, get beat up by his 5 foot 4 sister. She released his ear with a _humph_ and began gathering potatoes to cut up. Connor rubbed a hand to his aching ear and asked, "Hey, do you still have those old photo albums from when we were little? I'd like to make a copy of them so I can have my own."

"Yeah, they're underneath my bed," she dried her hands and motioned for him to follow.

"So," Connor said as he quietly shut the bedroom door, "What's up with you and John?" he smirked when her hand stopped searching under her bed and her body stiffened.

"What do you mean?" she asked in a nonchalant manner. Connor scoffed and got on his knees to help her search under her massive bed.

"You two looked awfully close when we got here."

"We were just talking," she said as she tossed an abandoned sock over her shoulder.

"Looked like John was doing most of the talking," he said with a grin. Bella scowled at him. "If you ask me, I'd say you two had the hots for each other."

"Good thing nobody asked you then," she growled.

"Hey, what's the big deal? I like the guy, and Adaleah is crazy about him. He'd be good for you," he said seriously with a shrug.

"He's my partner."

"So?"

"1PP frowns on partners having a relationship. They think that we magically get blindsided by love or some shit, and it makes us incapable of doing our jobs correctly."

"So you guys may have to find new partners, what's the big deal?" Connor asked. Bella paused and sat back on her haunches. She hadn't really thought about it like that. She didn't like the idea of John having another partner (especially if his new partner happened to be a female). She enjoyed working with him just as much as she enjoyed his company off duty. However, it wasn't like they would never see each other on the job. She'd only be a desk over from him. It actually didn't sound as extreme of a change as her head had been making it out to be. Besides, they may not even have to switch partners, if 1PP deemed it alright. Though, those chances were slim.

"I think you both should stop being so stubborn and just let it happen," Connor said from somewhere under the bed. Bella sucked on her bottom lip in thought. The thought of throwing caution to the wind scared and excited her at the same time.

"It's not that simple, Con," she said softly.

"Actually, it is. I know how you are. You always make things a lot more difficult than they have to be," he said with a childish grin. Bella snorted and nodded her head in agreement. "Besides, all you have to do is wear this and hold up these and he'll be eating out of the palm of your hand, amongst other things!" he held up an old pair of fishnet panty hose and a pair of pink handcuffs. Bella gasped and grabbed the items from his hand. She shoved them under the bed with a huff, but smiled despite herself.

"He's already been playing around asking to stay the night," she admitted with a giggle.

"You should let him. You need to get laid!" he yelped when Bella pinched the sensitive skin on the inside of his arm.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John moaned in pure ecstasy as he bit into another bite of tenderloin. It was even better than what his mother used to make, which he really hadn't thought possible.

"Good?" Bella asked with a shy smile. John nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Better than good," John praised. Bella smiled wider and reached around Adaleah to help cut her food into tinier bites. "It's even better than my mom's," he said with a mouthful.

"Glad you like it," she said with a shy little laugh.

"Do I have to eat these green things?" Adaleah asked as she pointed her fork at a small pile of green beans.

"A little bit of them, yes," her aunt answered wearily. Adaleah was a fussy eater when it came to anything green.

"But they're yucky!" she whined.

"You haven't even tried a bite of them! I even put parmesan cheese on them, just for you. At least try a bite? Please, for me?"

Adaleah eyed the green bean on the end of her fork with such disgust; John thought that she might actually throw up. With a deep breath, the five year old popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly with a thoughtful look on her face. Bella smiled when she went to eat another one.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"They're good," Adaleah agreed as she bit into another one. John shook his head in amazement at just how skilled his partner was when it came to children. She would make an amazing mother someday.

"So, what were you and Connor talking about for so long earlier?" he asked after it had gotten quiet. He knew from the look on her brother's face and the long length of time they were gone that they weren't really searching for old photo albums.

"Nothing, we were just having a hard time finding the photo albums," she said as she quickly looked down at her plate, which John knew was a sign she was lying.

"Daddy says she needs to get laid," Adaleah said before eating another green bean. Bella's fork clattered down to her plate and her mouth flew open.

"What else did you hear?" she asked in alarm.

"Nothing! I heard him say that when I was going to the potty. What does laid mean?" she asked curiously. Bella's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"It's- it's something that only grownups are allowed to say!"

"So, it's a bad word?"

"Yes!" Bella exclaimed. She glared when John snickered.

"Okay, but what does it mean?" she persisted.

"You'll have to ask your daddy, okay? If you're done eating, go get your pajamas and we'll start your bath, okay?"

"Okay, but-"

"No buts! Go on! I'll make cookies afterwards, too, okay?" Bella said almost pleadingly. The little girl's face lit up at the promise of something sweet, and the new word was quickly forgotten.

"Okay!" she said as she slid out of her chair and ran into her room to grab her clothes. Bella groaned and slammed her face down on the table.

"That was interesting," John commented with a smirk. She grunted and lifted her head to scowl at him. "So, I'll ask again. What were you guys talking about?" he asked with a shit eating grin. The younger detective kicked him under the table.

"Shut up!" she hissed when Adaleah came running back into the room with her night gown and clean underwear.

"Ready! Can you make double chocolate chip this time?" she asked as she pulled Bella up from the kitchen table.

"Whatever you want," she said sweetly, hoping and praying she wouldn't bring up anymore awkward questions. She ran the little girl a bubble bath, bathed her, and left her to play while she went to start on the cookie batter.

When she arrived in the kitchen, John was scraping the remains of dinner off of all of the plates and filling up the sink with soapy water. "Hey, what are you doing? I'll get those. It's my turn," she said as she reached for the first dirty dish. John laid his hand over hers and stopped her.

"Yeah, but you're also making cookies. I'll do them tonight. It just means you owe me," he said with a coy grin. Bella smiled a coy smile of her own and took a tiny step closer.

"And what do I owe you?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm sure you can think of something," he said, his voice changing to a deeper tone. Bella hummed and slowly pressed her lips to his cheek, making him smile and hold his breath. Her lips trailed closer and closer to his mouth, leaving tiny kisses along the way. When she brushed her soft lips against his, he sat the plate down and moved to grab her, only to grasp air. She backed away with a giggle and opened the cabinet to get the dry ingredients needed for cookies.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around her tiny waist. "Tease," he accused. He buried his face on the top of her head and inhaled deeply. Her bushy curls always smelled of a mixture of jasmine and vanilla. She turned in his arms and ran her hands agonizingly slow up his chest. She smiled softly when she felt his heart beating faster and faster underneath her palms.

"I'm not a tease," she said in a sweet voice. She batted her long lashes up at him, making him lick his lips.

"Prove it," he said quietly. Bella chuckled a throaty chuckle and placed a finger on his lips.

"Uh-uh. It's not your birthday yet!" she giggled when he huffed and pouted. She wiggled out from his arms once more and started putting together the cookie dough.

"Minx," he sighed under his breath.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John sighed in quiet contentment as his fingers ran through his partner's silky curls. She and Adaleah had fallen asleep hours ago, almost as soon as the cartoon movie they had decided to watch began. He smiled down at Bella's sleeping face that was nuzzled into his stomach. Her head was resting on his lap; her long hair was cascaded over his legs and falling off the side of the couch. Her soft breath felt warm against his stomach. Adaleah was sprawled on her stomach, cocooned in her aunt's arms. He smirked when he saw a small puddle of drool forming from her mouth onto Bella's chest.

It occurred to the elder detective that he hadn't been this comfortable, or happy in a long time. The movie ended almost half an hour ago, and he was content with just watching his partner sleep. His eyes drifted over her long eyelashes and rested on the dark, but tiny freckle on the apple of her cheek. He gently rubbed a finger over it, and quickly paused when she shifted and sighed in her sleep. Once he was sure she had settled back down, he traced his finger lower to the tiny scar above her lip. A small burst of anger flooded his gut when he pictured a twelve-year old version of Bella getting busted in the face with a lamp.

He breathed deeply and shook the mental image from his mind. He laid his hand tenderly to the side of her face and stroked his thumb across the softness of her cheek. "Bells," he whispered quietly, trying not to wake the five year old slumbering on her stomach. "Bella," he said as he tapped his thumb against her cheek. She mumbled something quietly and slowly blinked her eyes open. "You fell asleep," he said with a soft smile.

"Oh, I did, didn't I? I'm sorry," she said with a yawn. She propped her head up to look at her niece. She grimaced when she saw and then felt the warm puddle of spit her chest.

"No big deal. I actually liked this movie," he lied. John Munch hated cartoons, and Disney's _Cinderella_ was no exception. Adaleah's begging and puppy dog face was the only reason why he forced himself to sit down and watch it in the first place. He was not only wrapped around Bella's pinky, but Adaleah's as well.

"You're bad at lying," Bella said with a snort. John smiled and tugged on her earlobe.

"You're right. It was horrible, and I hated it," he said with a pretend scowl. Bella giggled quietly and reached up to pat him affectionately on the cheek.

"Aw, poor baby," she said patronizingly. John rolled his eyes and turned his head to kiss her palm.

"That's okay; you can make it up to me. My birthday is in two minutes," he said with a coy smile. Bella quickly glanced at the digital clock and noted with surprise that it did indeed say 11:58 PM. She looked up at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"I never said I was going to kiss you!" she said with an innocent look. John narrowed his eyes down at her, making her giggle. They both stopped short and held their breath when Adaleah groaned in her sleep and turned sharply, elbowing Bella in the stomach. The detective hissed under her breath and rubbed her side gently. "Let me put her to bed real quick." John nodded and watched as she skillfully got to her feet without waking up Leah. She bent over and scooped her into her arms.

"You're pretty good at this parenting stuff," John commented. Bella smiled at the praise and crept through the hallway to put the sleeping girl in her bed. John got to his feet and stretched his numb legs with a groan. He stretched further until his spine popped, making him wince. He scowled and rubbed his back. Getting old sucked.

"You okay?" Bella asked, suddenly behind him. After years of practicing ballet, she was awfully light on her feet.

"Yeah, just back trouble. You'll find out when you get my age," he said playfully. Bella snorted and rubbed the heels of her hands into the small of his back until she found a couple of tense knots to knead out.

"Oh stop it, you're not old," she scolded. John laughed dryly.

"As of right now, I'm exactly one year away from being fifty years old," he motioned to the clock.

Bella rolled her eyes and moved around to his front side, rubbing her hands from his sides up to his chest. "You aren't old and happy birthday!" she said with a big grin. John pulled her closer to him by the waist with one arm and ran his free hand's fingers through her near waist length hair.

"Your hair has gotten very long," he observed quietly.

"I was thinking about cutting it," she said replied just as quietly. John immediately shook his head no. He was always partial to shorter hair, but he admired Bella's long mane greatly.

"I like it better long," he protested.

"What makes you think I give a damn about what you like?" she asked with a coy smile that made him smirk. She closed what small gap there was between them and pressed her body against his. John made an approving noise in the back of his throat as he felt the smooth contour of her body through the thin material of her shirt and leggings.

He gently nuzzled her cheek, making her sigh and close her eyes. "We shouldn't be doing this," she said, barely a whisper. He placed a small kiss on her right temple and then another on her cheek.

"Why not?" he asked against her skin.

"Because," she paused when he kissed the corner of her mouth. She expelled a quick breath when he skipped over her lips and kissed the other corner of her mouth. "We're partners."

"So?" he asked before kissing the freckle on the apple of her cheek.

"Cragen will split us up," she said distractingly. He pushed the hem of her shirt up just enough to feel the soft, warm skin of her waist.

"Not if he doesn't find out," he said into her ear. Bella frowned slightly and opened her eyes.

"So what, you want to keep me your dirty little secret?" she asked in a tiny voice. He pulled back and saw the slightly hurt expression on her face.

"No, of course not," he kissed her tenderly on the nose, "I just don't see any rush in telling Cragen until we figure out what we're doing," he said gently. Bella's eyes softened and she smiled crookedly, the dimpled indentions in her cheeks making John smile back immediately. "So, it's my birthday," he said playfully, making her giggle. He laid his forehead against hers and peered into her mismatched eyes.

"So it is," she teased. John huffed and tugged gently on a curl.

"You're a tease, Krissabella Walker."

"Am I?" she asked with a feigned innocence that made him scoff. She laughed huskily and traced a finger over his bottom lip. "I never said I was going to kiss you. If you want a kiss, you're going to have to work for it."

"But it's my birthday!" he whined. Bella grabbed the hands that were now caressing low on her hips, and lead him to the door.

"Yes, we've established that!" she said with another giggle. John pouted when she opened the door. She paused and stood up on her ballerina tip toes. Her lips grazed across his, too lightly to be considered a kiss. "Goodnight, Birthday Boy," she said quietly before pushing him out of the door. She closed the door quickly before he could respond or make a move to grab her again.

He stood in the darkened hallway, grinning to himself like a mad man. The woman was driving him absolutely crazy. "Damned tease," he grumbled under his breath. He heard a muffled laugh from behind the closed door and grinned. Two could play at this game.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Johnie!" Adaleah squealed as she tackled John's legs. He waddled through the doorway and bent over to pick her up in his arms. She placed both of her hands on his cheeks and kissed him on the nose. John smiled fondly at her and ruffled her already messy hair. "I made you a present!" she said suddenly. She wiggled out of his arms and ran through the hallway to her room.

"She woke me up at around seven this morning just to work on it," Bella said with a hint of annoyance. John smirked and turned around to reply, only to pause and look her up and down. She was wearing a white long sleeved dress. The bodice was tight, and it had a low backline that dipped down to the middle of her back, revealing half of the newly discovered tree tattoo. The loose skirt swayed around her legs and ended just above her knees. Her curls, usually slightly frizzy, were sleek and pinned to her head, with the exception of a few loose ones framing her face.

He let out a low whistle and asked, "What's the occasion?" He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Bella smirked and laid her hands on his shoulders.

"Well you see, it's someone's birthday today."

"Really?" he played along. She laughed and nodded.

"Sure is. I found this in the back of my closet, and figured I finally have an opportunity to wear it," she said with a shy smile.

"Well I'm glad you did, you look beautiful," he said as he traced his finger over the bare skin of her back. She bit her lip in an attempt to hide the impending grin threatening to break out across her face from his praise.

"If you're trying to butter me up for a kiss, you're on the right track," she said. She lifted herself onto her tiptoes and circled his neck with her arms. John smiled, and taking advantage of her new found height, nuzzled his face into her neck. She smelled of vanilla, and something uniquely all her own. It was more intoxicating than any drug he could think of. Adaleah's swift footsteps rang through the hall; he took one last deep inhalation before reluctantly letting her go.

"Ta-da!" she said proudly. She held up a folded poster board card that was almost as big as she was. John squatted beside her and helped her open it up. As soon as he did, pink glitter sprinkled from the card and onto the floor. 'Hapy Birthday Jonny!' was written at the top in blue marker, which immediately made him smile. On the left flap were three stick figures. "That's you!" she pointed to the tall stick figure in the middle with dark hair. "That's me," she motioned to the tiniest stick figure with orange hair that was holding hands with John's figure. "And that's Bellsie!" she pointed to the last stick figure with black curly hair that was on John's other side. There were red and pink hearts drawn everywhere, with partially glued glitter stuck to them. 'I luv you' was written at the top of both pages. For a five year old, the drawings were actually very good. She even took the time to draw out his glasses and a tie.

He was stunned into silence. He had never gotten such a thoughtful gift before, not even when he was young. "What's wrong, don't you like it?" Adaleah asked with a pout. John immediately closed the card and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her little cheek and squeezed her tightly. "Thank you, Lee. This is the best present I've ever gotten," he said sincerely. Adaleah hugged him back and smiled at him proudly.

When he finally let go, she bounded off to the living room and turned on cartoons. John stood slowly, still looking at the massive card. The touched look on his face made Bella smile softly. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She planted a kiss between his shoulder blades before rising to her tiptoes to rest her chin on his shoulder. "She worked really hard on it, ya know."

"I can tell. It's amazing," he said softly. Bella smiled and kissed the side of his neck. John smiled at the way it made his stomach flutter before placing the card on the kitchen table.

"The hospital called," she said as she released him. She began fixing them both a cup of coffee.

"Yeah? What's the verdict?"

"Everything checked out. He wanted to know if four this afternoon would be alright."

"And you said yes, right?" he asked with a calculating look as he took his cup from her hand.

"Yes," she said with an eye roll. "In exactly five hours and twenty some minutes, part of you will be forever inside of me," she said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Too bad it's not the right part," he said, running his hand across her lower back.

"John!" she hissed quietly with a glance at Adaleah. She laughed softly and grabbed his hand. Tiptoeing and putting a finger to her lips in a _shhh_ motion, they crept quietly behind the couch and into Bella's room. She continued leading him by the hand until they were on the tiny balcony outside of the bedroom. The air was chilly, and the ground felt cold on the young woman's bare feet. John rubbed his hands on her arms in an attempt to warm her up.

"It's too cold for you to be out here in just this dress," he said softly. He pulled her to him and laid his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her face forward. She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"That's why you're supposed to warm me up," she said with a crooked grin. His eyes drifted closed as she brushed her lips against his. He was silently praying that she wasn't playing any more games, he wasn't sure if he could take anymore of her relentless teasing. It felt like an electrical wave flowed through his stomach when her lips pressed hesitantly against his. She pulled back slightly, a curious look in her eyes. John was quick to lay a hand on her cheek and pull her back. He smiled against her lips when he heard her sigh happily.

His hands slid from the bare skin of her back upwards to cup her face gently, in contrast to the sudden firmness of his mouth as it moved against hers. She made a small noise in the back of her throat and buried her fingers in his hair, her nails scratching his scalp gently. A tiny little giggle made them part.

Adaleah was standing in the doorway, red faced, and hands hiding her eyes. The detectives shared a smirk before Bella scooped her up into her arms and lead everyone back to the living room. Still giggling, Lee peeked through her fingers at the two. "Is Johnnie your boyfriend?" she asked. Bella opened her mouth, but quickly snapped it shut. Was he?

"I don't know?" she mumbled with a curious glance to the elder detective. He looked just as confused as she felt.

"Well if you kiss on the lips you have to be boyfriend and girlfriend," Adaleah said with a shrug, her earlier embarrassment forgotten. Bella pursed her lips in thought, not at all sure how to explain relationships to her five year old niece.

"It's complicated. Do you have all of your things packed?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Adaleah narrowed her eyes, but let it go.

"Yes. Why do I have to go home now?" she whined.

"Because I have a lot of things I need to get done today. We're staying at your house for a little while, so your daddy and Devon can give Johnnie his present, okay? Go get your shoes," she shooed the scowling girl to her room.

"Connor and Devon got me something?" John asked in surprise. While he considered them both acquaintances on the borderline of becoming friends, he didn't see them as being close enough to exchange birthday gifts.

"Of course they did, it's your birthday," Bella said with an eye roll. She moved forward and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Do you mind hanging out over there for a bit? We won't stay long, promise," she said, suddenly sounding apologetic.

"I don't mind," he reassured. He kissed the tip of her nose, and ran a thumb over her lip. She kissed the pad of his thumb. The affection in her eyes momentarily stole his breath as she kissed his thumb again and rose to her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Ready," Adaleah grumbled as she drug her backpack behind her. Bella chuckled at her forlorn expression and grabbed a jacket from the coat rack.

"Cheer up monkey butt! I'll buy you an ice cream on the way home, alright?" Bella promised.

The little girl perked up immediately.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Do you really like it?" Bella asked, motioning to the watch Connor and Devon had gotten him. It was now late in the afternoon, and the detectives were just then returning to the apartments with groceries in hand for John's birthday dinner.

"Yeah, but I still don't think they should have spent so much on it," he said as he grunted and shifted the plastic handles of the bag off of the crook of his arm. The blood transfusion had been faster and simpler than he had anticipated. All in all, it only took half an hour.

"Connor's known for giving extravagant gifts. We didn't have much growing up, and now that he has money, he tries to make up for it. You should see what all he gets Adaleah at Christmas time! It's no wonder the brat's spoiled," she said fondly. She tore her hand out of his to sneeze into her arm.

"I told you we shouldn't have been walking around for so long in the park. You probably have a cold now," John said with a worried frown. Bella smiled and grabbed his hand once more. The biggest majority of their day had been spent walking through the city parks leisurely.

"You worry too much."

"You don't worry enough," he said seriously. Bella sighed with no real annoyance behind it. She was secretly pleased he fretted over her.

"It was just a sneeze!" she pulled him out of the elevator and handed him her bags to fish her house key from her pocket.

"That could turn out to be a cold," he grumbled. He sighed in relief when she finally got the door unlocked. He hurried to the kitchen to drop the bags on the table.

"If it's a cold you shouldn't kiss me."

"You're right, it was probably just a sneeze," he said with a sheepish smile. Bella giggled and pointed to the door.

"Out!" she said sternly.

"Why are you kicking me out?" he asked in surprise.

"Because I'm making you something special, and it's a surprise. Now, get out!" she moved behind him and pressed her palms to his lower back.

"I promise I won't look," he swore. Bella shook her head and started pushing him forwards to the door.

"I don't trust you," she said with a smirk. He turned suddenly and grabbed her wrists.

"Hey, I'm you're partner! If you can't trust me, who can you trust?" he said with a grin. He abandoned her wrists to cup her face in each hand and pulled her forwards roughly. He watched her eyes widen a fraction. Her tongue swept over her bottom lip, catching his attention.

"Seducing me isn't going to change my mind," she said in a hoarse whisper. John smiled coyly and nipped at her bottom lip. The hands on his chest fisted in his shirt as she gasped quietly.

"You sure about that?" he said haughtily. He kissed the tip of her ear and slowly dragged his lips down the curve to the lobe. He smirked when he heard her swallow thickly and felt her shiver slightly at the warmth of his breath in her ear.

"Positive," she said, pushing him away from her completely. He was pleased to see her blush and breathing heavenly. "I'll come get you when I'm done. Out!" she said again, this time stomping her foot. John sighed and did as he was told, hanging his head in defeat.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

John sighed as he looked at the clock for the hundredth time. It had been a little over an hour since he was kicked out. The older detective was having trouble preoccupying himself to pass the time. When a knock finally sounded on his door, he all but ran to it. "It's about time!" he said as he slung open the door. He immediately froze, taken back by who was on the other side.

"Hi John," Gwen Munch said shyly. John stood with his hand clutching the door handle, still frozen in place. He immediately braced himself for some sort of battle. Visits from the first Ms. Munch always ended the same-with hurt feelings, broken promises, and a sense of longing that never seemed to fade. The hardest part was accepting there was nothing he could do to help her. You can't help someone that won't help themselves.

"Gwen?" he said disbelievingly.

"You going stand there all day staring at me, or are you going to invite me in?" she teased gently. John stiffly moved aside to let her in.

"What are you doing here?" he asked curiously.

"I just wanted to tell you happy birthday. I haven't seen you since you moved up here," she said. She shifted on her feet awkwardly before extending a gift bag towards him. "Here, I got you something," she said with the same shy smile that made him fall in love with her in the first place. He took it from her slowly and reached in to pull out a painting that he had lost in their divorce settlement. It was a remake of a famous painting that he had always been fond of. He had been disappointed when she won property rights of it.

"I know how much you loved it. I should have let you have it a long time ago," Gwen said quietly. John looked up at her with an unreadable expression.

"Thank you," he sat the painting down carefully on the couch. "Why are you here, Gwen, really?" he asked gently.

"I just wanted to tell you happy birthday," she repeated as she backed towards the door. John grabbed her hand quickly to stop her from bolting.

"I know you, Gwen. You wouldn't have driven all the way down here if there wasn't something on your mind."

She bit her lip and looked up at him through her long lashes. "I've been on my medication for a couple of months, John. I miss you," she trailed off. She stepped forward and laid a soft hand to his cheek. John inspected her closely, trying to decipher if she was really telling the truth, or not. He wanted to believe she was, but he knew deep down there wasn't any use getting his hopes up.

"Gwen," he said with a shake of his head. He grabbed her hand off his cheek.

"Don't tell me you don't remember how good it was. We can try again," she said pleadingly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he immediately pied them off. Sorrow marred his features as he looked down at her pained expression.

"Don't do this," John whispered. Her face twisted into an expression of pure fury as she violently pushed him away.

"Is there someone else?" she demanded. "What, are you going to marry this one, too? What will this one be? Number five?" she hissed. He felt his heart clench at the manic look in her eyes. There was no way she had been taking her medicine. He had dealt with her episodes enough to know when her paranoia was setting in.

"Gwen, you need help. Please take your medicine," he said pleadingly. He grabbed her elbow, gently pulling her towards the door. The fight drained out of her as he opened the door and they stepped into the hall. They paused, staring at one another without speaking.

"I love you, John," she said quietly. John said nothing, but squeezed her hand gently. She leaned forward and kissed him, her lips somehow not feeling as good as they had in his memories.

"Goodbye, Gwen," he said sadly. She kissed him once more, caressed his cheek, and then all but ran to the elevator, forcing herself not to look back. John sighed and rubbed a hand over his face when she had disappeared out of his sight. He turned in time to see Krissabella standing in her doorway.

The last thing he saw before she quickly shut the door was the excruciatingly hurt look that passed over her face.

**AN: 1) This chapter was longer than what I usually write, so huzzah for that! Managed to stay out of the hospital(Knock on Wood), but still not 100% yet.**

**2)GWEN MUNCH- For those of you who haven't heard the background. Gwen is John's first wife. They divorced because Gwen suffers from schizophrenic paranoia. He still loves Gwen to this day (in the show). He had to leave simply because she would not stay on her medication. So, I brought Gwen into my story to help John get over his love and longing for her, by learning to let go. It will be a learning process for him and Bella as well. I've actually thought about writing a Gwen/John fic, because their story is so beautiful and heart wrenching…any thoughts? **

**3)Eat up the fluff while it's here, because I'm thinking about bringing in the angst ladies and 'gents.**

**4) How am I doing as far as teasing goes? Not sounding boring, or cheesy I hope?**

**5) YES, I know John's birthday is in July, but for my sake pretend it's in the fall! Lol**

**6****) You're reviews make me so happy! They really drive me to write, you guys. I appreciate all of your freed back! Thank you so much!**

**R&R Please!**


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